The Road Ahead
by starzee
Summary: SEQUEL to A New Start : Damon and Caroline had their fresh start, now they're planning their future and dealing with the consequences of their chosen lifestyle.
1. New York

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

**So, this is the sequel to A New Start. Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 1

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><p>Damon and Caroline sat on a flight to New York City. They'd sent Stefan to Amsterdam since they wanted some time to be alone. They were planning to meet up with Seth and catch up since it was over three months since they'd seen him. They may have only known him for two weeks when they were on their Galapagos cruise, but he'd made a real impression on them both. They were going to spend a few days there hanging out with him and they planned to tell him what they are while they were there. Caroline was really nervous about it as the only experiences she'd had of coming out as a vampire were with Matt and her mother and neither had gone over well to start off with.<p>

They were getting along great and had talked a lot while they were in Mystic Falls. Neither had seen Tyler again as it seemed Bonnie was keeping him hidden. Stefan had helped him for the rest of the week with his urges as a new vampire and Bonnie promised to keep an eye on him until he was ready to leave Mystic Falls. Damon wanted nothing to do with him at all. He didn't want to even hear his name as it still hurt. Caroline had gotten Damon's ring out of the fire place, taken it to a jeweller's and had it polished to get the soot off of it but she hadn't found the right moment to give it to him. He hadn't mentioned it since the night she found out her mother was engaged. She hadn't meant to listen in on his conversation with her mother but she couldn't help it. Truthfully, she was also kind of scared to bring it up as it was a reminder of when he took it off. She had been trying her hardest to be extra nice to him about it all. He kept giving her strange looks as they sat on the plane together and her mind wandered.

"Say it." He said to her with a dramatic eye roll.

"Say what?" She smiled at him kindly.

"You've been walking on egg shells around me since we were at dinner at your mother's house and it's driving me nuts, Barbie." He said. "You haven't called me on my shit once since then and you're constantly trying too hard. Just stop." He said to her.

"I just didn't want to upset you." She said quietly.

"I'm not upset." He rolled his eyes. "It's not like I've forgotten and you're suddenly going to remind me what happened." He pointed out and she winced. "So just say what you wanted to say." He urged her.

"I got your ring from the fire place." She said to him and he looked surprised.

"I can't believe I forgot about that." He said honestly. "Sorry, I should have remembered that part." He said annoyed with himself.

"Do you want it?" She asked him.

"Sure." He nodded and she slipped her hand into her bag and pulled out a little velvet drawstring jewellery bag and handed it to him. He opened it and looked at the ring confused.

"I took it to the jewellery store and had it polished." She said.

"Ah." He replied then put the ring back in the little velvet bag and put it in his pocket. He did like that she thought to do that for him.

"Aren't you going to put it on?" She asked him confused.

"Not yet." He replied and her face fell.

"Why?" She asked him.

"I forgave you but it doesn't mean I'm over it yet." Damon stated. "I'll put it on when I feel like I trust you completely again." He said to her and she nodded in understanding.

"Okay." She said sadly then he felt like an ass. He lifted her chin up to look him straight in the eyes.

"I love you." He said to her then kissed her softly.

"I love you more." She replied sadly.

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><p>They landed into JFK airport and jumped into a cab. Caroline had never been to New York before and since Damon had given his apartment to Bonnie (though she didn't know it yet); they were staying in the Four Seasons hotel. Truthfully, Damon was sick of hotels but he'd promised Caroline that they would visit Seth before they went home to Amsterdam. They were going to be in New York for three days. They had time to get checked in and put their stuff in their suite before meeting Seth round the corner at a restaurant for lunch. They walked around the corner hand in hand and noticed Seth facing the other way as he waited for them.<p>

"If it isn't Captain America." Damon drawled and Seth turned around quickly with a grin.

"If it isn't Dart Man." Seth grinned and walked forward to give Damon a guy hug.

"You need to stop calling me that." Damon chuckled.

"You can't throw a dart to save your life. When you learn how to, I will." He smirked.

"I forgot how invisible I am with you two together." Caroline giggled.

"I'm sorry, Cookie." Seth grinned and hugged her too.

"Sorry about Barbie, she's just pissed that she isn't getting to shop today." Damon smirked and Seth laughed.

"Have you found an Anonymous meeting for her yet?" Seth asked and Damon laughed.

"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked and the boys tried to contain their laughter.

"Nothing, dear." Damon said and Seth smirked at him.

"Get a room." Caroline huffed and went into the restaurant.

"Touchy." Seth quipped and Damon rolled his eyes.

"You have no idea." Damon replied and they followed her inside. The entire lunch Damon and Seth caught up about everything they'd been up to, leaving Caroline the chance to get the occasional comment in. She was bored and complained so they'd reluctantly agreed to go shopping with her for one hour. They were timing it and everything. When they'd finished lunch and shopping, Seth followed them back to their suite in the Four Seasons. The boys were exhausted. Caroline apparently could speed shop and managed to fit a whole day's shopping into that hour which ended up being nearly two hours. Once they were back in the hotel room, Damon pulled out a bottle of bourbon he'd bought Seth in Amsterdam and gave him it.

"Thanks." Seth grinned. Damon was the only guy he was friends with that had basically all the same interests as him besides studying animals of course. Damon forgot how much he liked Seth and decided to just tell him about them. They'd agreed to tell him before they left in case he took it badly but Damon couldn't wait.

"Dude, I have to tell you something." Damon said.

"What's up?" Seth asked curiously.

"Just, don't be afraid, okay?" Damon asked and Caroline's eyes widened.

"Not yet, Damon!" She said worriedly.

"Caroline, he's not going to care." Damon said to her.

"Just tell me." Seth shrugged.

"We're vampires." Damon blurted and Caroline slapped her hand to her forehead in disbelief.

"What?" Seth asked suspiciously. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope." Damon shook his head.

"Prove it." Seth said and Damon blurred to the other side of the suite. Seth's jaw dropped. "No way." He laughed. "Do that again." He said in awe and Damon darted behind him and tapped his shoulder. Seth snapped his head round and his eyes widened. "This may sound stupid, but do you have fangs?" He asked curiously and Damon laughed then moved to sit across from him on the couch again.

"Yeah." Damon smirked.

"Can I see?" He asked and Damon allowed his face to change. Seth watched as his teeth elongated, his eyes went blood red and the veins under his eyes darkened. "That's too cool." Seth laughed.

"I know, right?" Damon smirked and Seth laughed.

"Could your ego be any bigger?" Seth chuckled and Damon smirked.

"Probably not." He shrugged.

"So, you're not afraid?" Caroline asked hesitantly as she sat down beside Damon.

"Why would I be? I've hung out with you alone tons of times and nothing bad happened to me." He shrugged. "Practically the whole cruise when you two weren't off in the supply closet." Seth winked and Damon smirked as Caroline giggled nervously.

"See." Damon said to her and she rolled her eyes.

"We told you because we trust you, but you can't tell anyone about this." Caroline pleaded.

"I know that, Cookie. I'm glad you told me your secret." He smiled at her. "Can you show me your fangs too? I think on a girl it'd be hot." He said and Damon laughed.

"It so is." Damon said. Seth watched Caroline's face change and she winked at him and he grinned.

"It totally is." Seth agreed then Caroline changed back.

"Can I ask questions?" Seth asked.

"I'll just give you all the usual answers and if I missed anything you can ask." Damon smirked. "I was turned in 1864, I'm 168 years old. Caroline was turned last year so she is really 18. Yes, we drink blood. Yes, we've both killed people but obviously I've been around longer so my count is a hell of a lot higher than hers. We can walk in the sun because of these." Damon pointed to his ring then Caroline's. "Garlic, holy water, crosses, coffins and bats are all myths. Beheading, stakes and sunshine do work." Damon said. "And, obviously we don't sparkle." Seth laughed at that. "This one asked me that." Damon pointed to Caroline and Seth laughed harder. "Anything else?" Damon asked.

"Dude, you're old." Seth said and it amazed Damon that this guy was the only person who got away with calling him 'Dude'. "How did you turn into vampires?" Seth asked.

"Do you mean the process or do you want our actual turning stories?" Caroline asked.

"Both." Seth shrugged. Damon explained Katherine briefly then how Caroline turned. "So you have to die with vampire blood in your system then drink human blood to be a vampire?" He asked and they both nodded. "Cool." He grinned.

"So you're really okay with this?" Caroline asked sceptically.

"Of course. I think it's cool actually." Seth said. "Why did you decide to tell me?" He asked.

"I didn't want to tell you because I haven't gotten a very good reaction when telling people in the past." Caroline admitted.

"Then they weren't worth it." Seth said and both vampires looked surprised.

"Thanks." Caroline said. "That actually means a lot."

"This is why we told you." Damon said. "We wanted you to know who we really are."

"I'm glad you did." He nodded. "I'll admit I'm kind of jealous though." He chuckled.

"We would turn you if you wanted to." Damon said honestly and Seth looked surprised but happy.

"What are the ups and downs of it all?" He asked.

"Ups are you don't age, speed, strength and compulsion so you can basically do whatever you want. Downs are you have to drink blood to survive; no matter how hard you try not to, undoubtedly at some point in your life, you will kill someone or something; you can't stay in one place for too long because people will notice you're not aging and you are technically dead so you can't have kids." Caroline said.

"But we got around the kids part." Damon smirked. "And, vamp sex is unbelievable." Seth chuckled.

"What do you mean you got around the kids part?" He asked then Damon explained the necklace and about Viktor being on the way. "Cool! Congratulations you two! That's going to be one lucky kid." He grinned.

"Thanks." Caroline smiled.

"I'll have a little think about it, though. I'm definitely interested." Seth nodded. "Would I have to decide while you guys are here?" He asked.

"No, course not." Damon said. "If you decide you want to turn, just call us and we'll tell you where we are and you can come join us." He shrugged and Seth smiled.

"Cool." Seth nodded.

"We'll be living in Amsterdam until June or July I think." Damon said. "Then we're going hunting." He grinned widely.

"For what?" Seth asked curiously.

"Creatures." Damon smirked.

"Now that sounds awesome." Seth chuckled.

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><p>They talked a little while longer about everything and Caroline and Damon were completely honest with him. They really liked him and hoped he would turn one day but they would never pressure him into it since neither of them had really had a choice in the matter. That night they had dinner with Seth's parents since they'd gotten to know them on the cruise and it was great for the vampires to catch up with them all. They were that family that were totally embarrassing but really loved each other.<p>

After dinner with the family, Seth took them out to a couple of bars he frequented with his friends then they went to a club. They drank; they danced and genuinely just had a great time. It was nearly 5am when they stumbled into the suite. Seth passed out on their couch and Damon and Caroline curled up in bed together.

"Think he'll turn?" Caroline asked him quietly.

"Yeah, I do." Damon replied. "Don't you?"

"No." She shook her head. "He loves his family so much. I don't think he'd leave them."

"He wouldn't have to. I think they would understand. They are a little crazy but they love him." Damon shrugged as he pulled her closer into his chest.

"I think they would be fine with it too." Caroline nodded. "But I still don't think he'll turn." She said.

"We should ask him to come visit us once we have our house in Amsterdam set up." Damon shrugged. "That way he can get a taste of the life he would be living without having to turn to see it."

"Good idea." She nodded and yawned. "I like New York and everything, but I don't see how people can live here. It's so crowded." She confessed.

"You get used to it." Damon chuckled.

"Night, babe." Caroline said sleepily as she closed her eyes and snuggled herself closer to him.

"Night, Barbie." He smiled. Babe... That was new.

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><p><strong>This was just a little chapter to get you all started. I'll write a bigger one tomorrow :D<strong>


	2. The Hybrids Go House Shopping

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 2

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><p>Seth was late for college because of his killer hangover. He was totally jealous that vampires don't get them but he hauled his ass to college anyway, leaving the vampire pair to plan what they would do for the day. They were going to meet Seth for dinner in Brooklyn in his favourite restaurant in the evening. Damon wanted to spend the day in the room enjoying his alone time with his wife but she wanted to see New York since she'd never seen the sights before. Damon had complained and rolled his eyes but obviously did whatever she wanted as usual. They visited the Met, the empire state building, central park including the zoo despite Damon's concerns about her abilities but she assured him that she had been working on it with Klaus and she could block it if she wanted to; then they went to the public library, the Lincoln centre and finally to the statue of liberty before heading to Brooklyn to meet Seth.<p>

They had a good dinner and a couple of drinks, not too many though since Seth was sure he was dying of his hangover. They called it a night early and Seth offered to come with them to the airport to see them off the next day. They headed back to the hotel and spent the rest of their evening with chocolate covered strawberries, champagne and whipped cream. Needless to say they had to shower before bedtime after it got way out of hand. They fell asleep in each other's arms as they almost always did.

Their last day in New York was spent shopping much to Damon's dismay but she had asked nicely and since he stupidly suggested that the week before, he had to go along. She was positively buzzing and nearly squealed with joy at all the possibilities. Damon did have a moment where he considered killing himself but stuck with her regardless. After four hours he couldn't take it anymore and when she was in the changing rooms he fled to a bar across the street and started chugging straight from the bottle. Caroline panicked a little at being left alone without a word until she walked out of the shop, bags in hand and spotted the bar across the street and laughed. She walked over and peeked through the window to find Damon lying down in a booth staring at the ceiling and she smiled. He had been really good for hours and put up with her without too many complaints and couldn't blame him for needing a break. She laughed and went into the bar. He winced when he saw her.

"Please! No more!" Damon groaned as he sat up. "I literally can't take it anymore." He said to her and she smiled at him fondly. She was nowhere near done but she'd let him off the hook.

"I was just coming to say that I'm done shopping." She smiled and he sighed in pure relief.

"I think that's the best thing you've ever said to me." Damon said and she laughed.

"I'm not really done but we can always come back." She grinned and he looked genuinely afraid.

"No. Never. I'm never coming to New York with you again. You can visit Bonnie by yourself when she moves here." Damon said and she giggled.

"Don't be such a baby. Next time you don't have to come shopping with me." She said and he looked at her sceptically.

"It would have been okay if it wasn't for like a million hours straight." He said to her and she rolled her eyes.

"But just think how well you'll be rewarded later." She winked and he perked up.

"I guess one more hour wouldn't necessarily kill me." He conceded and she laughed.

"One hour then we'll go back to the hotel and you'll get your reward. Then again in the airport. And then on the plane." She winked and walked out of the bar. Damon downed the rest of his bottle and raced after her. Maybe shopping wasn't so bad.

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><p>When they were back at the hotel, Caroline gave him his reward. She'd bought raunchy lingerie in a few stores and showcased a red and black corset, stockings and suspenders for him. His eyes bugged at the sight of her as he loved corsets and she knew it. She made it all about him and he decided if this was what was in store for him afterwards, he'd go shopping with her whenever she wanted. Their flight was leaving JFK at 11pm so they had to be there for 9pm. They went to the airport with Seth early so they could hang out a little before heading through security. He promised to visit them in his October break and to think about their offer. They were sad to say goodbye to him because there was no drama with Seth, he was just fun and an all round nice guy. The flight went well and Caroline kept her promise and they added another notch to the mile high club they'd started months earlier. When they landed the next morning they grabbed their suitcases and Damon had to get a trolley since Caroline had shopped so much they'd had to buy two extra suitcases. He led the trolley out while he held her hand and was surprised to see Stefan and Klaus standing waiting for them. His grin split his face when he saw his brother from another mother and he made a beeline for him and they hugged each other fiercely.<p>

"I actually missed you." Damon said to him with a smirk and Klaus laughed.

"I missed you too, my brother." Klaus smiled. "Caroline, my darling." He said to her and hugged her while Damon and Stefan greeted each other. Caroline had been nervous to see Klaus as she knew he knew what she'd done and Stefan had been off with her; but it seemed she was still his friend despite that.

"Nice to see you, sweetie." She said as she hugged him back. "You would have been pleased, actually. When we were in New York, we went to the zoo and I blocked it." She grinned and he smiled proudly knowing what she meant.

"That's excellent." He nodded. "We'll have to try the opposite some time. We can sneak into a zoo when it's closed and you can practice." He said to her.

"Can we talk about this later? I so need a shower." Damon groaned and Klaus laughed.

"Yes, I can tell." Klaus winked at him and Damon smirked. The four of them went back to the hotel much to Damon's annoyance since he hated it but he was glad to be home. They'd only been in Amsterdam for a few months but they loved it and really felt at home there. After he was finished in the shower, he called all the estate agents in the city so they could start looking for a home for him and his wife. All they knew was that they wanted a house close to the city centre but not right in the hustle and bustle. They weren't really too picky about bedrooms or floor plans, they would go look at anything. While he waited for them to call him back with viewings he went to speak to Klaus. He walked into his suite to find him looking at his 6 week sonogram picture.

"When's the 12 week one?" Damon asked as he sat down beside him.

"Next week." Klaus grinned as did Damon.

"Awesome." Damon grinned. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something." He said. "I hate this hotel. Like really hate it. Caroline and I decided to buy a house here since we'll be here until next year. I called some real estate places and I'm waiting for them to get back to me." He said.

"So, what did you want to talk about then?" Klaus asked confused.

"Since we all need to stick together and let's face it, I see you more than my wife." Damon chuckled as did Klaus. "I just wanted to ask if you'd be up for that too. I asked them to look for houses for us where there is another house available either down the street or a couple of streets away, if not closer."

"Definitely." Klaus nodded. "What about Stefan?" He asked.

"I figured he could either buy a house too or just live with one of us." He shrugged. "Ric will be staying with us when he comes over since he'll need supervision until he's got control."

"Sounds good. Stefan can stay with me." Klaus nodded then seemed to hesitate. "So things with Caroline..." He started as he knew Damon would understand.

"Are getting better." Damon smiled. "Honestly, despite the drama, it gave us the chance to talk through everything that we'd been avoiding and we're more open and honest now. Doesn't stop what she did from hurting me but I have to admit I kind of get it." Damon shrugged.

"Stefan is still angry at her." Klaus said and Damon looked surprised but he realised that Stefan didn't even say hello to her at the airport and when they were in Mystic Falls he answered when she asked him something but didn't go out of his way to speak to her at all.

"What did he say?" Damon asked.

"He just feels that you and he are closer than ever and that you had been through enough pain without her adding to it. He's also annoyed that you forgave her so easily." Klaus said and Damon stared at him in disbelief.

"What has our closeness got to do with anything?" Damon asked confused.

"You're his big brother and he loves you. She broke your heart and that's not alright with him." Klaus explained.

"I guess I should go talk to him." Damon nodded. "He can't just keep being mad at her."

"He can, Damon. But you should talk to him. I'm very old so I can understand these things, but as you know, Stefan is a romantic and overly dramatic about these things." Klaus smirked and Damon laughed.

"I know why he's angry. I'm still angry too. It's not like I've forgotten. But I screwed up a lot too. She's allowed it this one time. Next time I won't forgive her and she knows that." Damon explained.

"For what it's worth, I for one am very glad the two of you worked it out. I know you love each other and I adore her too." Klaus smiled.

"We do love each other and I'm happy you care about her too. I better go see Mr Moody Pants... I'll let you know about the houses when I hear back from them." Damon nodded then left to go to Stefan's room. He knocked on the door and Stefan opened with a smile.

"Come in." He grinned and Damon walked in and sat down on the couch.

"We need to talk, brother." Damon drawled and Stefan's eyebrows furrowed as he sat down beside him.

"What's up?" Stefan asked.

"Why did you ignore Caroline at the airport?" Damon asked. He knew already but wouldn't betray Klaus' trust. Stefan had hoped he hadn't noticed as he didn't really want to have this conversation.

"I didn't mean to." Stefan shrugged and Damon narrowed his eyes.

"You've been my brother for 164 years, nearly 165. I know when you're lying." Damon smirked.

"I'm still angry at her." Stefan blurted and Damon nodded.

"So am I." He agreed.

"Then why are you acting all happy couples?" Stefan asked.

"We aren't." Damon answered. "There's still awkwardness and arguments but we're working through it."

"You forgave her so quickly." Stefan shook his head and Damon smiled.

"I forgave her because think about what I did to her when I met her." Damon said. "I used her for blood and sex, nearly killed her three times, frightened her... She's allowed this screw up." Damon said and Stefan looked surprised but his expression softened. "It doesn't make it hurt any less but she's allowed this one thing... Even if it was with _Lockwood_." He said with distaste.

"What if she does it again?" Stefan asked quietly and Damon winced at the thought.

"Then it will be over forever. She knows that. She knows that if she cheats on me again that I'll never forgive her." Damon said. "Plus, it's not like she screwed the guy. That would be way worse."

"I feel like an ass now. I forgot about everything that happened when she was human." Stefan admitted.

"I know you did and I know you're just mad because you love your big brother, but everything's going to be fine, Stefan." Damon soothed him. "She's your best friend. Don't let her marriage to me screw up your friendship."

"I should apologise to her." Stefan said.

"She loves you Stefan, you don't need to apologise. Why don't you just go ask her to hang out? She'd love that." Damon smiled.

"What are you going to do?" Stefan asked curiously.

"His majesty and I are going house shopping." Damon grinned and Stefan laughed.

"I can't believe you still call him that." Stefan said.

"You know me." Damon shrugged with a smirk. "They say nicknames are a sign of affection." He pointed out.

"You only call me brother." Stefan replied with a pout and Damon laughed.

"I have more nicknames for you than anyone else. You just don't always hear them." Damon said and Stefan laughed.

"Like what?"

"St Stefan, Broody, Forehead, Auntie Stefan, Long Johns, Sparkle, Don Juan, Froggy, the list goes on and there are new ones when I come up with them." Damon smirked. "I used to call you Mr Bambi hunter but I can't really call you that now, can I?" Stefan laughed.

"You haven't called me Froggy or Long Johns since we were human." Stefan said sceptically.

"I have, you just weren't there." Damon chuckled.

"You're never going to let the frog thing go, are you?" Stefan smiled.

"That's the nice thing about eternity." Damon quipped.

"What was the story about Long Johns anyway? I can't remember where that comes from." Stefan admitted and Damon laughed.

"When you were five you got your first pair of long john underwear and you wouldn't take them off for a week." Damon laughed. "You kept saying you were a big boy now so you didn't have to take them off." Damon shook with laughter and Stefan would have blushed if he were human.

"Please tell me that you don't tell people that." Stefan pleaded and Damon smirked.

"Stefan, I mean this in the nicest possible way." Damon grinned. "It is my job as an older brother to embarrass you for all eternity. That's just the way it is."

"Can't wait." He groaned.

"You know plenty of embarrassing stories about me too." Damon pointed out and Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"That's true." Stefan nodded. "And stop calling me Sparkles. It was the seventies! Everyone had sparkly clothes!"

"I didn't." Damon laughed.

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><p>Stefan showed up at Caroline and Damon's suite and knocked. Caroline opened the door and looked surprised to see Stefan standing there.<p>

"Hey." She smiled. "Come on in." She said and he walked in. "Damon's not here." She said to him as she knew he'd been off with her and she understood it.

"I came to see you, actually. Can we sit?" Stefan asked and she nodded and sat down. She wasn't looking forward to this conversation.

"Go ahead." She said.

"I love my brother." Stefan said.

"I know that." She agreed.

"I've been angry at you since we were in Mystic Falls."

"I know that too." She nodded.

"But we talked earlier and he reminded me of everything he did to you when you were human. I'm ashamed to say I forgot about it. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, Caroline. I've been a bad friend to you. You're my best friend and I love you. I don't want to lose you." He said to her and she smiled.

"I forget about it too most of the time." She admitted. "We've just come so far since then and he's not the same person that did that. You're my best friend too, Stefan and I don't want to lose you either. You already know that I love you and I'm sorry I did what I did to Damon." She said and she felt tears welling in her eyes. Stefan only felt worse for upsetting her.

"Don't cry." He said to her soothingly then moved to hug her. "Why don't we go do something today?" He asked. "We can catch up and in the future, I won't get involved in your relationship with my brother. You and I are friends regardless of what's going on with the two of you."

"Thank you. That means so much to me." She said. "And I'd love to hang out with you. What are the twins doing?" She asked and Stefan laughed.

"Damon and Klaus are apparently going house shopping." Stefan said and Caroline laughed. "I'm surprised you don't want to be a part of that."

"We're doing this whole compromising thing." She smiled. "We decided that he chooses the house and I get to decorate it whatever way I want."

"That's probably just so he can get out of looking at fabric and furniture." Stefan pointed out and they both laughed.

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><p>Damon went back into Klaus' suite after he'd finished talking to Stefan and had a call back from a real estate company with a few houses to show them.<p>

"C'mon K-bone." Damon nodded to the door. "We have houses to look at." He smirked and Klaus laughed.

"K-bone? That's new." He pointed out as he stood up and put on his jacket.

"You know I just think it then say it." Damon shrugged. Klaus laughed and patted him on the shoulder then the two of them went out to the car. Damon programmed the address into the GPS and they drove off to see the first two houses of the afternoon. The first two were two sides of a semi detached. They didn't even look at them since Klaus really didn't want to hear Damon getting laid on a daily basis and Damon didn't want Caroline to hear all the stuff that he and Klaus talked about. They then followed the realtor to a small street that then turned off into an alcove. There sat two fairly large detached properties across from each other and both were for sale. The houses were nice enough but the area wasn't ideal because they would have a lot of neighbours.

They visited eight sets of houses and there was always something wrong with them either from Damon's point of view or from Klaus'. They were about to call it a day when the realtor suggested two houses that actually sounded really good. They followed her on main roads to the outskirts of Amsterdam then through a wooded area. They came out the other side of the wooded area and pulled off onto a slip road and followed that for about a mile before reaching a large farm house. It was painted a creamy yellow colour and was surrounded by fencing. Part of the land included a large field. On the other side of the field was a similar farm house but that was painted a powder blue colour that Damon was certain Caroline would love. The field was just over half a mile wide so they could reach the other house in seconds at vampire speed and hear each other if they needed to but there was still plenty of space for privacy and it was secluded and perfect for security. Damon and Klaus grinned at each other knowing they would accept even though they hadn't even been inside yet.

They went into the yellow house first which they decided would be Klaus' house. As they stepped in there was a large wide staircase to their right and to the left was a kitchen and an eating area. The kitchen connected into a large dining room. Across from the front door was a spacious living area and on the right there was a hall leading down to a large bedroom and a large bathroom. There was also a pantry room where the washer and drier were located. Upstairs it was large and open leaving room for a separate living area and there were three large bedrooms. One ran along the left side of the house, making it the largest with an enormous connecting bathroom containing a shower and Jacuzzi. The other two bedrooms were on the other side of the upstairs on the right side of the house. They were good sized and there was another bathroom on that side. Klaus loved it and thought it would be perfect for him and the twins and Stefan could live in the downstairs bedroom.

They went across to the blue house and it was a similar layout only instead of three bedrooms upstairs there were two but they were both very large and ran along either side of the house which was perfect for them, Victor and Alaric to live in and if Seth joined them later, they could either add another bedroom onto the house or Viktor could sleep in their room. They made offers there and then and since they were significantly above the asking prices, their offers were accepted immediately. Damon and Klaus felt triumphant that they'd managed to score such excellent houses and went back into the city to get Stefan and Caroline, all of their things and head back out to their new homes. The houses had been empty for months and the owners just hadn't gotten around to selling them so they were ready to move in immediately. Since there was no furniture in the houses, the realtor promised to have beds put in within the hour so that they could at least sleep there straight away. Damon got his phone out when they were in the car and called Caroline.

"_Hey, babe._" Caroline answered and Damon chuckled. She kept calling him that and he found it both embarrassing and lovely at the same time.

"His majesty and I bought houses." Damon replied and Klaus laughed.

"_Already?_" She exclaimed. "_We just got to Amsterdam this morning!_" She said.

"I am aware of that, my dear. I'm just calling to say that the houses are empty. The realtor is putting in beds for us all to sleep in for tonight but I just wanted to know if you can go out and buy some stuff like sheets, blankets, pillows and stuff like that. Oh and towels." He said. "Anything else you can think of that we could need tonight. We'll be back in about half an hour and we're getting our stuff ready and taking it out right away. We'll need to make a couple of trips so you have a few hours before we need to leave the hotel." He said to her.

"_Okay, I'm on it! What are the houses like?_" She asked.

"They are like old style farm houses. Ours is blue and the king's is yellow." He chuckled.

"_That sounds adorable!_" She commented. "_Has he decided on themes yet?_" She asked and both vampires looked confused.

"Theme's for what?" Damon asked as Klaus looked just as baffled as he did.

"_For his interior. Just so I know what colours to buy for him._" Damon and Klaus visibly rolled their eyes.

"What colour do you want your bed stuff?" Damon smirked as he asked Klaus. They both thought it was ridiculous. It was just a bed.

"Tell her she can buy whatever the hell she wants. I really don't care." Klaus laughed.

"_I heard that._" Caroline replied.

"Sorry, darling but I don't. You can do the decorating in my house too, so you decide." He said to her and Damon nodded his thanks to his friend.

"_Ooh! That's exciting! This is going to be fun!"_ She exclaimed.

"Yeah, well knock yourself out." Damon replied with a smirk then hung up. "Possibly literally." He laughed as did Klaus.

"I adore that girl but why on earth does the colour matter?" Klaus asked confused.

"Fuck knows." Damon replied with a sigh. "That's why I'm just letting her decide everything. Otherwise she'll come in with like a million colour swatches for me to decide and they'll all be like a shade of light blue." Damon rolled his eyes and Klaus laughed.

"What if she decorates your bedroom pink?" Klaus chuckled and Damon smirked as they drove.

"As long as she's naked in said pink room, I don't give a crap." He replied.


	3. Bonding and Dating

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p><strong>AN: So I have a lot of people to say thank you to.**

**VampCaroline, BangelSpuffy, Daroline, Debbie 87, CarolineSalvatore, StelenaAlways, DamonLover86 and CaraSalvatore : You guys were with me and supported me throughout A New Start and some of you were with me for other stories too. I wanted to do something for you guys so I came up with an idea. I was thinking about doing a collection of missing scenes from A New Start and would love to know what you would like to read. What did you wish I had written? The first one I'm going to do is Damon and Caroline's night in the hotel in Front Royal after seeing Stefan and Klaus. After that it's up to you guys although I have a couple of ideas already. If you give me a really good idea, I'll write it and dedicate it to you :D**

**Also:**

**Avecia, josetong, hpfan1987, ghostwriter0501, Damon's 86, 2, SomerhalderAlcklesEvans, Layla55, anja z3, gossipgirltwilight01, tammy216, nikita2108, Serenity Clearwater, Silently Tearful and Dana Blood... Thank you so much for your kind reviews of A New Start. They meant so much to me and it was incredible waking up each day, checking my email and getting constructive and supportive feedback.**

**AND... (Sorry this is taking so long) For those of you who really like Stefan/Damon bonding moments... this is the chapter for you ;)**

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><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 3

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><p>Five days later she was driving the three of them nuts. So much so, they were all hiding in a bar in the city while she decorated the houses. They couldn't take it anymore. They'd seen every colour imaginable and then some, as well as fabric swatches for the furniture and curtains, furniture catalogues and that was only the decorating. She was also getting contractors in to fix the things she didn't like such as knocking a wall down here and changing the arch there. The boys needed a break.<p>

"Wow. You are brave to have married that woman for all eternity. I've seen some horrors in my 1000 years, but I think this tops that." Klaus said as he took a large gulp of his beer.

"Normally, I would defend her but I don't have the will or the energy." Damon sighed.

"Even I can't take it anymore." Stefan chuckled.

"That's when you know the world is ending. When Count Deepak can't take it anymore." Damon smirked.

"Caroline needs to get some girl mates." Klaus said and Damon nodded.

"What about Mrs Count Deepak? When do we get to meet her?" Damon asked curiously.

"Soon." Stefan smiled softly. "I was actually thinking about inviting her over to the house for dinner when Caroline's finished. What do you think?" He asked.

"It would be a pleasure." Klaus smiled and Damon smirked.

"So you never want us to meet her?" Damon asked. "Because I don't see how Barbie's ever going to be finished. I swear the kids will be here and she'll still be deciding between blue shade 57 and 92!" Damon groaned and the other two vampires laughed.

"There is one thing I need to talk to you about, Klaus..." Stefan said hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" Klaus asked.

"Your full name is Nicklaus, right?" Stefan asked and Klaus looked confused.

"Yes..." He said, not sure where it was going.

"Uh... I obviously told Karina about everyone in my life... except she thinks your name is Nick." Stefan said and Damon laughed.

"Why?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"Well... I thought she might be scared considering who you really are. You are famous for being the oldest vampire in the world. Some vampires even think you're a myth." Stefan explained and Klaus laughed.

"I understand. It's difficult to meet anyone without them thinking that immediately." Klaus agreed. "But Nick? Really?" Klaus asked. "I know Caroline jokingly calls me Nicky, but..."

"I'm sorry; I should have talked to you about it first." Stefan conceded.

"You are a real idiot, Stefan. There are probably lots of vampires called Klaus. Chances are it isn't _that_ Klaus." Damon said in disbelief and Klaus laughed.

"I didn't really think it through." He admitted. "I just really liked her when I said it."

"Just slip it into conversation that everyone calls him Klaus." Damon shrugged. "You don't have to make a big deal about it. Plus, I highly doubt K-bone is going to off your girlfriend." Damon smirked.

"I didn't think he would either. But she doesn't know him. I know when I first heard about him in the fifties I thought, 'that's a vampire I don't want to meet'." Stefan replied.

"I am right here, you know." Klaus chuckled.

"Sorry." Stefan said.

"It is a good point though." Klaus said. "I've met a few vampires over the years that I liked and was interested in but as soon as they found out who I was, they fled." He said sadly.

"That sucks." Damon said as he thought about it. "It might be better if you went after human girls. That way, they never will have heard of you." Damon suggested.

"That's not a bad idea." Klaus agreed.

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><p>Caroline went with Klaus a few days later to the clinic for Liza's 12 week scan. He watched in awe at their little heartbeats and saw how much they'd grown in just 6 weeks. He came out feeling all aflutter and Caroline was grinning. Their 16 week scan was only a week away and she couldn't wait. They went to the front desk to make the appointment for Liza's 16 week scan.<p>

"Hey, you two." The pretty receptionist smiled at them. "How'd it go?"

"It was wonderful." Klaus smiled at her.

"I'm glad." The receptionist smiled. "Where are the two Mr Salvatores today? Don't they usually come to these appointments with you guys?" She asked curiously.

"They're off brother bonding somewhere. Apparently it's some kind of anniversary for them." Caroline shrugged. She knew that it was 148 years since they turned but she could hardly tell her that.

"That's sweet." She smiled. Caroline noticed that she kept glancing at Klaus as she looked through the computer calendar.

"Can you excuse us for a moment?" Caroline asked sweetly and the receptionist nodded, then Caroline pulled Klaus around the corner. He looked at her confused. "She's totally checking you out." Caroline grinned and Klaus looked startled.

"Zara? The receptionist?" He asked surprised.

"Yeah!" Caroline nodded. "What do you think?" She asked.

"Well, she's very beautiful." Klaus admitted. Zara had long black hair and emerald green eyes, pale skin and red pouty lips. She had very delicate features and reminded Caroline of a porcelain doll.

"Ask her out." Caroline nodded happily and Klaus looked suddenly very shy.

"Oh, I don't know..." He started to disagree.

"I can coach you through everything. I promise. Before we leave, just ask her if she would like to go out to dinner with you some time. If she says yes, ask for her phone number and tell her you'll call. If she says no, which I doubt, just play it cool. I can whisper a response to you that she won't hear." Caroline grinned.

"Are you sure about this? I wouldn't even know what to do on a date." Klaus admitted and Caroline smiled warmly at him.

"Well, that's what you have me for." She said to him and he nodded. He was very nervous. He wasn't sure he'd ever asked a girl for a date before. They walked back around and Zara suggested an appointment and he agreed. Caroline walked towards the door and pretended to look at her phone as she listened.

"Zara?" Klaus asked and she looked at him and smiled. "I was wondering if you would care to join me for dinner some time." He asked her politely and she beamed at him. Clearly he'd gotten the hint.

"I'd love to." She smiled at him and he only seemed to look more nervous.

"Wonderful." Klaus smiled and she wrote down her number on a business card.

"That's my number. Give me a call sometime." She smiled at him.

"I will. See you soon." He said to her.

"Bye." She grinned and he walked towards Caroline then they left the building.

"Yay! See I told you!" She exclaimed.

"When do I call her?" He asked.

"Tomorrow." She replied. "Don't worry; I'll coach you through it all." She promised and they went to the car.

* * *

><p>"Why on earth did we have to go camping?" Damon complained as he dragged a huge duffle bag full of booze, blood and blankets up a hill in the woods.<p>

"We're bonding." Stefan replied and Damon chuckled.

"What else could I possibly learn about you, Stefan?" Damon asked as they reached the top of the hill.

"Oh, shut up and help me with the tent." Stefan said as he pulled out the four man tent they'd bought.

"I can't believe I'm sharing a tent with you." Damon groaned as they hammered in the spikes, keeping the tent grounded.

"Seriously, stop complaining or I'll stick you with vervain." Stefan warned and Damon smirked.

"That barely affects me anymore." Damon reminded him and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Well, just shut up anyway." Stefan said frustrated. He was starting to regret their brother bonding trip.

"I'm missing guaranteed incredible sex tonight to spend time with you... The least you can do is let me mock you." Damon pointed out as they put in the poles.

"And you don't think I'm missing the same thing to spend time with you?" Stefan smirked and Damon grinned.

"Now this is a better conversation." Damon pointed out. "Tell me about Karina in the sack." He said and Stefan laughed.

"Why would I do that? You can't keep secrets to save your life." Stefan said.

"I can so. I just choose not to most of the time." Damon reminded him.

"I'm still not telling you." Stefan said.

"Fine, I'll just bug you till you do." Damon said.

"Why?" Stefan chuckled.

"Because it annoys you." Damon said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I thought you would have understood me by now." Damon smirked.

* * *

><p>"What do you want to do tonight?" Caroline asked Klaus since the Salvatore brothers were away for the night.<p>

"As much as I know I'm going to regret saying this... You are going to have to teach me how to go on a date with a human." Klaus said. "I don't know much about pop culture and I need conversation topics away from the supernatural world." He said and Caroline grinned.

"I can do that." She nodded. "Why don't we watch some movies tonight and you can talk to her about them? I'll put on some classics that everyone has seen. You obviously know a lot about history so you can bring that up too. Mostly though, ask questions. A lot of questions. Keep her talking and really listen to what she says and take it from there." She explained.

"Maybe you could come too?" Klaus asked and Caroline laughed.

"I can't supervise your date." Caroline said. "I swear, you'll be fine. You're a total gentleman which is rare these days. First dates are all about seeing if there is a spark, seeing if you like the same things or if you don't you can talk about why you don't like certain things." She shrugged. "I promise it's nothing to be concerned about." She said.

"Ok, what are the absolute don'ts of a date?" He asked her.

"No compelling. No feeding on her. No sex on the first date. You're ideally looking for someone you can be with right?" She asked.

"Yes." Klaus nodded.

"Ok, you're going to buy her flowers. Not roses though since they're totally cliché. And they can't be huge and ostentatious either. Just a small bouquet that says you were thinking of her but not so much that it'll make her uncomfortable. I'll take you to the florist to explain this better on the day of your date." Caroline said in organisation mode. "When you pick her up, you'll go up to the door give her the flowers and tell her she looks beautiful even if you hate what she's wearing. Offer her your arm and take her to the car and open her door for her. Drive to a nice restaurant but again not so fancy that she feels like it's too much. When you get there, let her open her own car door but offer your arm as you walk in. Eye contact and being happy to be there are the two most important things. Pull out her chair when you get to the table but only the first time. She'll go to the bathroom at some point but she can just sit down by herself when she comes back. There is such a thing as being too much of a gentleman since you have to remember it's 2011. Don't talk about money or boast about anything, not that you do that, I'm just saying. If you feel an awkward silence coming, just ask her questions. The first date doesn't have to be a long date since you don't actually know each other. Take her home after dinner and walk her to her door. Depending on how the date goes, you should know what kind of kiss you'll give. If you both had an amazing time, the sparks are flying and it's obvious there will be a second date, you give her a sweet peck on the lips. If it was an ok date and the second date could go either way, kiss her on the cheek. If it's horrible, just thank her for a lovely evening and get the hell out of there." Caroline explained.

* * *

><p>"What's your number?" Damon asked curiously as the two of them lay on their backs staring at the stars.<p>

"Which one?" Stefan asked.

"Both." Damon replied.

"7291 and 202." Stefan replied.

"You've killed 7291 people?" Damon asked utterly shocked.

"Well, what are yours?" Stefan asked annoyed.

"304 and 15812." Damon replied.

"There's no way you've only killed 304 humans." Stefan gasped.

"It's true." Damon nodded.

"Wait a minute... Did you just say 15000? You've had sex with 15000 people?" Stefan asked in disbelief and Damon smirked. "How do you even keep track of that?" Stefan asked and Damon chuckled.

"I have a little book." Damon shrugged. "How is it possible you've only had sex with 202 people?" Damon asked sceptically.

"I'm not a slut like you." Stefan laughed.

"And I'm not as big a murderer as you." Damon laughed.

"Were they all women? Aside from Brad?" Stefan asked and Damon laughed.

"No, aside from Monroe, were yours?" Damon chuckled.

"No." Stefan shrugged. "I guess when you live this long you get curious easily."

"True." Damon agreed. "Father would have a fit at the thought of that." Damon chuckled.

"I think he'd have a fit at a lot of what we've done." Stefan reminded him.

"God, I hated that guy." Damon said.

"Yeah, me too." Stefan replied and Damon sat up in shock and stared at Stefan.

"What did you say?" Damon blinked in surprise.

"Just because I didn't voice it the way you did, didn't mean I didn't hate him too. You think I liked following orders constantly and the way he treated us? Especially the way he treated you?" Stefan replied.

"You never told me that." Damon said.

"I didn't feel like I could." Stefan replied honestly.

"Why?" Damon asked.

"Because you were the one that got beatings constantly, not me. I did what I was told because I was scared of being disowned. I didn't feel like I had a right to tell you how much I hated him because he was never as bad to me as he was you." Stefan replied honestly.

"Stefan, the only reason I stayed, the only reason I let you stay with him, was because I thought despite everything, you loved him deep down." Damon stated.

"What would you have done if I told you at the time?" Stefan asked curiously.

"The second I turned sixteen, you and I would have moved away from Mystic Falls." Damon said without thought.

"That would have been nice." Stefan smiled sadly.

"I'm kind of glad the way things turned out though. We'd be old bones under the ground now if we hadn't met Katherine." Damon pointed out.

"True. But we both wasted so much time hating each other though." Stefan said and Damon lay back down and looked back up at the stars.

"Well we don't anymore." Damon said and Stefan smiled.

"So you're over the eternity of misery?" Stefan asked and Damon chuckled.

"I've been over that for a while." Damon replied. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to mock you forever though." He smirked.

"I figured." Stefan rolled his eyes. "When did you get over it?" He asked curiously.

"When the tomb vamps took you." Damon replied.

"Yeah, that wasn't the best day ever." Stefan laughed.

"Are you really over Elena?" Damon asked sceptically.

"I'll always care about her, Damon. But it was better to end things before they got worse. She admitted that day you gave her blood that she never wanted to turn. That's why I agreed to go with Klaus. It was easier than having to actually break up with her." Stefan replied.

"Katherine, then?" Damon asked.

"What does it matter? She's dead." Stefan shrugged.

"We never actually talked this through before." Damon reminded him.

"Caroline's really gotten to you with all this talking about things." Stefan chuckled.

"The worst thing about it is it works." Damon muttered.

"Okay then." Stefan nodded. "I thought Katherine was dead all those years, so I got over her. I'll admit that when I saw Elena, I wanted her because she looked like Katherine and she acted a lot like Katherine when Katherine was nice. It was like being with the human version of Katherine that I wanted all those years ago. Then Katherine showed up and confused me all over again, because I did love her back then and I did consider it again when she showed up." Stefan admitted.

"What changed your mind?" Damon asked curiously.

"You." Stefan replied.

"Why?" Damon asked surprised.

"Because I wanted a relationship with my brother over a girl I was mostly over, who only ever caused us both pain. If you'd asked me to pick between you and Elena, I would have picked you." Stefan said and Damon found that he couldn't really formulate a reply.

"Oh." Was all he could say. "I'm sorry, Stefan." Damon said after a few minutes of thought.

"For what?" Stefan asked surprised.

"For putting the blame of becoming a vampire on you, for Katherine, for Lexi, for Elena..." Damon said. "I have a lot to be sorry for. But it wasn't your fault that I turned. I chose to drink Katherine's blood. I had the choice and I chose. I should have lived with the consequences of that choice." Damon said. "You were my best friend once and I'm ashamed that I let a woman come between us. I wish we hadn't missed out on all of those years." Damon admitted. Stefan felt himself tear up and he sat up and wiped his eyes. He had waited for over a century to have his brother back. The guy that used to take the blame for his mistakes, the guy who masked his own pain to comfort him when their mother died, the guy who beat up people that picked on Stefan in school, the guy who let him sleep next to him when there were thunderstorms when he was little, the guy who used to go make him warm milk when he had a nightmare; the brother he had desperately missed for so long... He couldn't stop the tears as they fell and Damon knew him well enough to know the kinds of things he was thinking about. He sat up and pulled Stefan into him and rubbed his back in slow circles the way he did when they were kids when Stefan cried. Then Damon said the words that Stefan hadn't heard him say in over 150 years. "E 'bene, mio fratello. Io sono qui. Non sei più solo."

_It's alright, my brother. I'm here. You're not alone anymore._


	4. Space

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 4

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><p>Damon woke up the next morning in the tent and Stefan was still sleeping next to him under his arm. Stefan had an evening of vulnerability where he just wanted his brother so he'd cuddled in next to Damon when they went to sleep like when they were kids and Damon let him. Realistically, he knew it was a little silly, they were grown men, vampires even, but the night before it was just like when they were human and he'd had to take care of his little brother. He'd missed it. It felt nice to be needed again.<p>

Stefan had always worshipped Damon when they were human and he looked up to him. Stefan had always wanted to be just like Damon. For the first time, he understood why Stefan forced him to turn with him... It was that Stefan couldn't handle living without his brother. Damon loved Stefan unconditionally but he didn't necessarily _need_ him. He could go on without him if he had to but now he wasn't so sure that Stefan could if the positions were reversed. A lot of things were making sense to him now. The way Stefan had never been able to kill Damon, even when he was being a total murderous wretch, how he always made excuses for him to people and even the look of pure despair Stefan had given Damon when he found out about the wolf bite. Now Damon understood why Stefan couldn't just let him go. He still needed him.

That thought made all of Damon's sarcasm and jokes go out the window. It was like a switch. He'd had it when he was human but hadn't felt it again as a vampire until now. When Stefan really needed him... that was all that mattered to Damon. He suddenly felt an intense sting of guilt because of all the pain he'd intentionally caused Stefan over the years. It was so blinding, he was sure if he had to breathe, he'd be having a panic attack. He realised just how much he missed his brother. Not just having him around but the relationship they had once had. They were incredibly close and they used to tell each other everything. All of their fears, things that made them happy, things that hurt them or made them sad, their dreams for the future... There was nothing that Damon didn't know about Stefan until Katherine showed up. These thoughts just intensified his hatred for her. He hoped sincerely that she was rotting in a pit of molten lava in hell while being tortured over and over by flesh eating demons. He wanted to bring her back to life just so he could kill her again.

Damon had spent so long hiding behind humour and insults but he no longer felt insecure about Stefan. He'd been insecure because his father loved Stefan more, Katherine loved Stefan more and Elena loved Stefan more... but he realised then that the only thing that was important in all of that was that he loved Stefan yet somehow, Stefan managed to love him more. He decided he wasn't going to be that guy that hid behind humour and insults any more... Well, at least not with Stefan. Stefan was really the only thing in life he had always had and always been able to trust, he'd just been too wrapped up in hatred and jealousy to see it. Soon he heard Stefan start to breathe, signalling to Damon that he'd woken up. Stefan didn't breathe in his sleep like Damon did. Stefan seemed to stiffen a little when he realised he was still cuddled into Damon, as if waiting for Damon to make some kind of joke or tease him about his weakness. Instead, Damon just told him how he felt.

"I missed you." Damon said truthfully and Stefan smiled and relaxed again.

"I missed you too." Stefan replied and Damon smiled softly but didn't remove his arm from his little brother. "I'm sorry for getting so upset." Stefan said quietly as if he was ashamed of himself and Damon felt a little sick at the thought he made Stefan so insecure.

"You have nothing to apologise for, Stef." Damon replied. "I just wish I'd figured it out sooner." He said sadly.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked as he turned around to face Damon.

"That even though they all loved you more, the most important thing was you and me. Father and Katherine, they weren't the important ones. It's always going to be you and me." Damon replied using Elena's phrase. "It always was and it always will be." He said. "Look at everything we've been through, yet here we still are." Damon said and Stefan grinned from ear to ear and for a moment he looked very young and Damon got a glimpse of his human little brother again. It was the smile Stefan used to give Damon when Damon would surprise him with something. "And I won't ever let anything or anyone get between us again. I promise." And he meant it. Not even Caroline.

"You sound like my Damon again." Stefan said quietly and Damon chuckled.

"Yeah, well, don't spread that around. I do have a reputation, you know." Damon smirked fondly and Stefan laughed. It felt easy again.

* * *

><p>It was time for Klaus to call Zara and he wasn't sure what to say. Caroline was on standby in case he got stuck. He dialled her number on his phone and waited nervously for her to answer.<p>

"_Hello?_" She answered.

"Hi, it's Klaus." He said awkwardly.

"_Oh, hi!_" She said happily. "_How are you?_" She asked.

"I'm fine, thank you. And you?" He asked.

"_I was having a terrible day until you called._" She said and he smiled.

"I'm glad I could help." He replied then rolled his eyes at his inability to be suave.

"_So, when do you want to go out?_" She asked him.

"Are you free tomorrow night?" He asked her.

"_Tomorrow night is great. Is this your mobile number?_" She asked him.

"Yes, why?" He asked confused and she giggled.

"_I'll text you my address if you want to pick me up at 8?_" She asked and he nodded in understanding.

"I'll be there. Where would you like to go eat?" He asked.

"_Surprise me. The only type of food I don't like is Indian food._" She replied and he smiled. He didn't like Indian food either.

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow then." He smiled.

"_Can't wait._" She replied happily and they hung up.

"You did great!" Caroline praised.

"Thanks. Any ideas where I can take her? You and Damon go out all the time, is there anywhere that's particularly nice?" Klaus asked and Caroline smiled fondly at him. She was so happy he was getting out there.

"I have just the place." She nodded. "I'll call and make a reservation for you for 8.30pm." She grinned at the thought of the little romantic Italian restaurant Damon took her to regularly.

"Thank you so much for helping with this." Klaus said.

"I'm your friend and I love you. There's no need to thank me." She replied and Klaus was sure that was the first time anyone had told him that they loved him since he was human.

"Well, I'm grateful anyway." He smiled widely.

"It's no trouble." She said. "How old are you? As in, when you died." She asked curiously.

"I was 30 years old." He replied.

"You look younger than that." She said. "I would have guessed 23 or 24."

"So what should I tell Zara when she asks?"

"Tell her the truth. You are 30. She doesn't have to know yet that you haven't aged for a thousand years." She giggled.

"Fair enough." He chuckled. "What do I wear for the date?" He asked.

"Wear a sharp suit with no tie. That way you still look dressy but not stuffy." She said. He liked that she was being so meticulous with this.

* * *

><p>Damon and Stefan were in the car on the way back to their houses but they didn't really want to end their brother time just yet.<p>

"Can we do that again sometime?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah, but maybe not camping next time." Damon smirked. "I'm so not a fan of spiders." He shuddered and Stefan laughed.

"Are you ready to go home yet?" Stefan asked.

"Not really." Damon shrugged. "What did you have in mind?" He smirked.

"I don't know." Stefan replied then he grinned. "Let's go swimming." He said and Damon laughed. They used to go swimming all the time when they were human.

"Are you out of your mind? Swimming in Amsterdam at the end of September? It's going to be so cold." He said and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Feel like doing something crazy?" Stefan asked mischievously and Damon knew that look. They always had fun when Stefan got that look.

"Always." Damon nodded and Stefan grinned.

"Let's go to Oktoberfest." He chuckled and Damon's eyes widened. It was a really amazing idea and he knew Klaus would make sure Caroline was safe.

"Fuck yeah." Damon laughed.

"So let's go home and pack a bag and we can get going." Stefan grinned and Damon shook his head.

"Screw that." Damon smirked. "I'm not going home only to be stopped by the little wife." He grinned and Stefan laughed.

"She's going to be mad." Stefan smiled but was ecstatic that Damon was up for this – of course he should have known that he would be.

"I'll bring her a present. She'll get over it." Damon smirked. "Are we driving or flying?" Damon asked.

"Road trip." Stefan nodded.

"It's like 800 kilometres or so..." Damon said as he thought about it. "If I floor it we can probably be there in about 5 hours, otherwise it'll probably be closer to 7." He shrugged.

"Let's just take our time." Stefan replied. "But you should probably at least tell her that we're going." He laughed. Damon nodded and got out his phone. He sent Caroline a quick text then pocketed it again.

"Done." Damon said and Stefan rolled his eyes and laughed and away they went.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Klaus were looking through his suit collection to find the perfect outfit for his date when Caroline got a text from Damon. She opened it and started to laugh.<p>

_Brother bonding went really well – we're off to Germany for Oktoberfest. Should be back in a few days... I'll bring you a present ;)_

She showed Klaus and he smiled widely. He was happy that the brothers were getting along well enough to do something random like this. He was also secretly happy that Damon wasn't around to tease him about his date. He was nervous enough already.

"Don't worry; I'll make sure you're alright." Klaus smiled at her.

"He wouldn't have left if he didn't think I'd be safe with you." Caroline grinned.

"Do you want to stay here tonight in the spare room?" Klaus asked her and she thought about it. She didn't like the idea of being all alone in her house away at the other side of the field in the middle of nowhere.

"That would be really great. Thanks." She smiled. "So what do you want to do tonight?" She asked. "Stay in, go out?" She asked.

"We could go to the theatre." Klaus shrugged. And they did just that. They went to see a rendition of Phantom of the Opera. Caroline had always wanted to see this musical on stage but it wasn't exactly the type of thing Damon would be dying to go to so she didn't mention it. Klaus seemed to really be enjoying it though so she made a mental note to ask him to go with her to the next thing she wanted to see in the theatre. They had a really nice evening and went for cocktails then went home. They watched a movie and Caroline popped popcorn then they went to bed. She slept in Stefan's room since the other two rooms were for the twins and didn't have beds in them.

The next morning when she woke up she realised that when Klaus had his date, it would be the first evening that she had alone in months. She was actually really looking forward to it. She planned to have a nice bath and pamper herself with beauty treatments and do her nails and toes. She hadn't actually spoken to Damon since the day Stefan and him decided to go camping for the night but he'd sent her a text goodnight and she was secure enough in their relationship that as much as she loved him, she didn't need to be neurotic about it. They were getting to a really good place, better than ever before where they just fit together perfectly. They could give each other space or be in each other's pockets and it wouldn't matter because they would still be solid. Sure they still had their issues, one being that he didn't fully trust her again yet since she noticed he still wasn't wearing his wedding ring, but they were getting there slowly. She knew it would take some time but she felt lucky that he'd forgiven her and she wouldn't take him for granted ever again.

* * *

><p>Damon and Stefan had driven down to Munich in just over 6 hours. They'd stopped a couple of times to look at things and they chatted, listened to music and told each other funny stories from over the years... Stories they didn't already know about each other. They got into Munich fairly late and decided just to find a hotel, have a couple of drinks and call it a night. The next morning they got up early, got ready and hit Oktoberfest, starting the day with a beer at just after 8 in the morning.<p>

"I haven't been here since 1997." Damon stated as they walked around the tents checking things out.

"I haven't been here since 1999." Stefan replied. "It's not that different though." He chuckled and Damon smirked.

"Why change something this awesome?" Damon grinned.

"Very true." Stefan nodded. "I can't believe in 6 months, you're going to be a dad." Stefan smiled fondly at his brother. "It's just so unbelievable and great." He said.

"It's surreal. You go through life thinking it's not possible then suddenly it is and it's happening. You have no idea how scared I am at the thought of it." Damon frowned. "I don't want to screw him up."

"You won't." Stefan said confidently.

"We're going to have the second boy pretty close after. I want them to have what we had." Damon confided.

"Are you still going with Vince?" Stefan laughed.

"Nope. He's being named after you." Damon replied and Stefan stared at him in shock and disbelief.

"Are you serious?" Stefan asked and Damon nodded with a smirk.

"Everyone should have a little brother called Stefan." He chuckled. "So, Viktor will have his own Stefan." Damon smiled at the thought. "Stefan Klaus Salvatore." He laughed. "I figured Klaus would be pissed if everyone else got their name in and he didn't." Damon laughed.

"Thank you, this means a lot." Stefan said sincerely.

"Just be there." Damon stopped and looked at his brother. "Help me with this. I'm not great with all the sappy stuff you need for kids." Damon said and Stefan smiled.

"I'll be there." Stefan nodded. "They need a cool Uncle." He grinned and Damon rolled his eyes.

"No, they'll have a cool dad. They'll get you as Uncle Broody." Damon pointed out and Stefan laughed.

"I don't think I brood that much anymore." Stefan replied and Damon smirked.

"It's all this time you're spending with me. I'm rubbing off on you." Damon pointed out and they started to walk again, continuing their affectionate teasing and banter.

* * *

><p>Caroline gave Klaus some final tips as he was heading out the door. She was confident that he was more than ready for his date. Any girl would be lucky to have him, she thought. Klaus had said she could use his Jacuzzi tub for her pampering evening and told her if she needed anything he could flash back there in a few minutes. She started the Jacuzzi, put a couple of drops of soothing Jasmine oil in the water and got in. There was a button for temperature control so she ended up being in the tub for nearly two hours as she listened to music and exfoliated and generally just relaxed. When she came out her hands and feet were shrivelled up like prunes but she didn't care. She lathered herself with her favourite lotion, pulled on her pyjamas and set to work on her manicure and pedicure. She was halfway through the third episode of the first season of Gossip Girl when Klaus came barrelling through the door all smiles.<p>

"How'd it go?" She grinned at him and he slumped down on the couch next to her.

"Great." He smiled. "We like a lot of the same things, there were no awkward silences and she kissed me goodnight before I could do it." Klaus grinned.

"Are you going to see her again?" Caroline beamed at him.

"Yeah." He nodded. "We're going out again on Sunday. Apparently there's a fair on that she'd like to go to and she asked if I wanted to go with her."

"That's great!" Caroline exclaimed. "You have to give me all the details." She said and he chuckled.

* * *

><p>Damon and Stefan had been gone for four days with no indication of when they'd return. Caroline didn't want to pressure Damon to come back but she missed him. Not only that, but Alaric was moving over in a few days and their 16 week appointment was only two days away. She didn't know whether to reschedule it or not but she knew he wanted to be there so she called him. He answered after five rings.<p>

"_Hey!_" Damon answered.

"Hey babe, you having fun?" She asked happy to hear his voice.

"_It's so great down here! I'll have to take you here one year._" He said and she smiled.

"I'm so happy you're having fun with Stefan and I don't mean to pressure you into coming back but Ric's going to be here in three days and I wanted to know if you wanted me to reschedule the 16 week appointment." She asked him.

"_Oh, crap. I'm sorry I forgot about both. No, don't reschedule. When is it again?_" He asked.

"The day after tomorrow at 4pm." She replied. She wasn't angry at him for forgetting. It was only natural considering he was mending things with his brother.

"_I'll be there._" He replied. "_We have to stay until tomorrow night but we'll drive up early on the day of the appointment._"

"Okay, babe. What's tomorrow night?" She asked curiously and he chuckled. She could tell he was drunk but it was Oktoberfest... of course he'd be drunk.

"_The finals of the beer drinking contest! Stefan and I entered it when we got here and tonight are the semi finals – which obviously, we'll win – so we need to be here for tomorrow night. The winner gets a huge ass trophy and we want it!_" He laughed and Caroline laughed with him. She could hear how happy he was and it made her happy in return. He obviously needed this time with his brother.

"You know what, Damon? I'll rearrange the appointment for next week. You just have fun with Stefan and come home when you're ready. We'll still be here waiting for you." Caroline said with a smile because it was true.

"_Are you sure?_" Damon asked surprised.

"Of course! Now go have fun! You don't want to be that loser guy talking to his wife." She laughed and he chuckled.

"_I love you, you know that?_" He asked.

"I know. I love you too." She smiled and hung up.


	5. The Brothers Return

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

josetong: I'll make sure to add some Klaus/Zara soon!

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>It was the 2nd of October and Caroline stood in the airport waiting for Alaric. Damon still wasn't home yet but she googled Oktoberfest and saw that it finished on the 3rd so he'd no doubt be home soon. She smiled at the thought since he'd been gone for over a week. It was the longest they'd been apart since they got together. Alaric came through with a few suitcases and made a beeline for Caroline with a huge grin on his face.<p>

"Hey!" He exclaimed and hugged her.

"Hey!" She replied with a smile.

"Finally, I'm here! I've been so looking forward to this." He grinned.

"So have we." She replied. "Let's get you back to the house so you can check out your room." She grinned. "If you don't like the theme, let me know and I'll get it changed for you." She said.

"Uh... it's just a bedroom, Care. I'm sure it's fine." Ric chuckled and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm surrounded by too many men. You have the same attitude as the rest of them." She complained. "I really need girl friends." She sighed and they walked to the car.

"So where's Damon?" He asked curiously and she giggled.

"It's kind of funny, actually. He went for a brother bonding camping trip with Stefan last week since it was the anniversary of them turning. They had such a good time together that the two of them just took off to Germany for Oktoberfest and we haven't seen them since." She giggled and Ric burst out laughing. It was such a Damon thing to do.

"That's really great that they are fixing their relationship." Ric nodded. "Have you heard from him?" He smirked.

"I get the occasional text message to basically ask if I'm still alive." She laughed as did he. "I called him once just to remind him you were coming and to talk to him about an appointment at the clinic and he was getting ready for the semi finals of a beer drinking competition." She explained and Ric chuckled. He was glad that they were having time together but he thought it would be cool if Damon took him too next time.

"When was that?" He asked.

"Three days ago." She laughed. "Oktoberfest is finished tomorrow so I'm guessing he'll be back either tomorrow night or the next day." She shrugged. "I'm glad you're here though. I can't wait to get back into my own house." She laughed.

"Where have you been staying?" He asked curiously.

"I didn't want to stay in that big house alone so I've been staying in Stefan's room at Klaus' house." She shrugged.

"Where is he?" Ric asked.

"He's on a date." She grinned and Ric looked surprised. "He's totally smitten with the receptionist at the clinic." She giggled.

"A human?" Ric asked genuinely surprised.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Her name is Zara and Klaus says she's like the sweetest girl he's ever met." She giggled.

"It's funny that Klaus would be the only one dating a human." He laughed.

"The problem with finding him a vampire girlfriend is most older vampires have heard of him so that scares them away." She shrugged.

"That makes sense." He nodded.

"Stefan hasn't even told his girlfriend about him yet. He calls him Nick when he talks about him." She laughed as did Ric. "We're all meeting her finally when they get back." She grinned.

"So how long has Klaus been seeing Zara?" Ric asked. He liked that Caroline filled him in on everything.

"This is their third date." She replied with a smile.

"The sex date." Ric laughed.

"I told him they aren't allowed to have sex today. He should get to know her better first. He likes her a lot so he can wait." She shrugged.

"It's better to wait a little while." He agreed. "Do you know when Damon's planning to turn me?" He asked curiously.

"Whenever you want to, I guess." She shrugged.

"I'm kind of nervous." He chuckled.

"Ric, you don't have to turn." Caroline said seriously. "Damon would understand." She replied.

"No, I want to. It's just kind of weird, I guess." He replied.

"Damon can compel you, if you want? He can compel you not to be nervous." She suggested.

"I'll think about it." He nodded.

* * *

><p>They drove the half hour drive to the house and when they got there Damon and Stefan came barrelling out of the house.<p>

"Ric!" Damon grinned and gave his friend a hug.

"I thought you were in Germany." Ric laughed and Damon smirked.

"I was." He grinned. "One second." Damon said then sped over to Caroline and spun her around then kissed her.

"This is a surprise." Caroline smiled widely at him. She had missed him terribly.

"I missed you." Damon smiled.

"I missed you too." She grinned. "When did you get back?" She asked.

"Like 10 minutes ago." He shrugged. "You have to come see our trophy!" Damon grinned and dragged her in the house while Stefan and Ric stood watching them and laughing. It was obvious that Damon really missed her.

"Did you two have fun?" Ric asked Stefan and Stefan grinned.

"It was amazing. The best week ever, probably." Stefan replied.

"It's great that you are getting along well." Ric replied.

"It is." Stefan smiled. "Come on in and I'll show you your room." Stefan smiled. Ric followed Stefan into the house and up the stairs to the big room on the right. Caroline had decorated the room with antique dark wood furniture including a king sized bed, drawers, a large wardrobe, a large chest at the foot of the bed and a large bookcase. The walls were painted a cream colour and there was a dark brown border separating the walls. The floors were a dark wood to match the furniture and Alaric stared at it in awe. He got what Caroline was saying now and he adored the room. He couldn't have thought up a better room. He set his suitcase down and Stefan set down the other one and he studied the room.

"Wow." Alaric gasped and Stefan grinned.

"We all complained about Caroline going overboard with the decorating but somehow, we all have the perfect bedrooms because of her." Stefan said kindly. They went back down stairs to find Damon telling Caroline stories of their escapades in Germany.

"Caroline, my room is unbelievable. Really, thank you. It's perfect." Ric said to her and she beamed at him happily.

"You're welcome." She grinned.

"She's a crazy woman when it comes to all of this but she knows what she's doing." Damon nodded with a smirk. "She's even having another bedroom built on to the lower floor and she's turning the basement into a man cave." Damon grinned and Ric laughed.

"A man cave?" He asked sceptically.

"Yeah, somewhere where you boys can go and just chill out, have a drink and relax." She smiled.

"That's cool of you, Caroline." Ric smiled and Damon put an arm around her and whispered in her ear.

"Best wife ever." He smirked then kissed her cheek. "So where's Klaus?" Damon asked. "He hasn't actually gone and gotten himself a social life has he?" Damon quipped.

"He's on a date." Caroline shrugged and Damon's jaw dropped then he started laughing.

"With who?" He asked confused.

"Zara." Caroline shrugged and Damon's eyes widened.

"What? Are you serious? She's a total fox! Why would she go after his majesty?" He laughed and Caroline shot him a look.

"She's a fox?" Caroline asked and Stefan and Ric chuckled.

"You have seen her." Damon nodded still not seeing the problem and Caroline narrowed her eyes.

"And just how long have you thought she was a fox?" She asked and he shrugged.

"Since the first time I saw her." He replied. "You've seen her, Barbie. Like... wow." Damon said and Ric and Stefan burst out laughing. "What the hell is so funny?" Damon turned to look at them.

"You're totally admitting to your wife that you still look at other women." Ric smirked and Damon finally got it.

"So? It's only natural." He shrugged then put his hands up in surrender. "Just looking." He said and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Nobody can say that you aren't blunt, Damon." Stefan laughed.

"So Klaus is banging Zara. I'm going to have to buy him a drink for that one." Damon smirked and Caroline smacked his arm. "What?" He exclaimed.

"He isn't banging her." Caroline said. "He actually likes her and don't you make fun of him for it." She warned.

"He'll think I'm dead if I'm not making fun of him." Damon pointed out.

"You are dead. Get over it." Caroline smirked and Damon cocked his eyebrow while he looked at her and he felt the lust building up from her cheeky expression.

"Stef, show Alaric your room, will you? I have to go screw my wife." He smirked then in a flash he picked her up and raced up to their room.

"Let's go." Stefan laughed and motioned for the door.

* * *

><p>Stefan and Alaric sat with beers chatting about Oktoberfest when Damon finally appeared... two hours later. They'd brought back cases of German beer and were getting stuck in. Damon was smirking smugly as he replayed what had just happened in his head.<p>

"Hello, ladies." He grinned as he sat down and opened a beer for himself. He took a swig. "God, that's good." He commented.

"Did you have fun?" Ric chuckled and Damon nodded.

"No sex for over a week will do that to you." He smirked. "That's the longest I've gone without in a _very_ long time." Damon frowned then Klaus came into the house and Damon smirked at him. "Zara?" Damon grinned and Klaus rolled his eyes.

"Not even a hello before you start." Klaus chuckled.

"But Zara? Really?" Damon replied. "Man she's hot." He groaned at the thought and Klaus laughed.

"Don't let Caroline hear you say that." Klaus laughed as he sat down and Damon handed him a beer.

"He already told her." Stefan chuckled and Klaus' eyes widened.

"And how did that go?" Klaus asked.

"I got laid." Damon shrugged with a smirk and Klaus laughed.

"Nice to see you again, Alaric." He said ignoring Damon.

"You too, Klaus. I'm happy to be here finally." Ric smiled. They had gotten along pretty well on his last visit and he found that he actually liked Klaus, much to his own confusion and surprise.

"When will you be turning?" Klaus asked.

"I can turn you now if you want." Damon shrugged.

"No, you can't. He wants to be a vampire." Klaus said and Damon looked at him in disbelief.

"Uh... I am a vampire." Damon said like Klaus was stupid.

"No, you're not. You're a hybrid. You can't make normal vampires anymore." He said and Damon's face fell. He didn't know that and it pissed him off. He'd turned lots of people over the years and he liked having the option. The fact he could never turn anyone again infuriated him... Really it was just the last straw so he stood up and walked right out of the house without saying a word or looking back, slamming the door behind him. "He's not taking being a hybrid well." Klaus told Alaric who looked confused.

"Oh." He said. "I would have thought he would like being practically indestructible." He shrugged.

"It's not that part he minds, I don't think. I think it's all the changes from becoming a hybrid. We have all the negatives from both sides, you see. Werewolves are angry creatures by nature and Damon is still coming to terms with that new side." Klaus explained.

"Why can't he turn anyone?" Alaric asked confused.

"He can, they just won't be vampires. They will be hybrids. I don't think he'll ever want to subject anyone else to it." Klaus said sadly.

"I'll go talk to him." Stefan said then left to go look for Damon. His first stop was obviously Damon's house. He walked right in the door since they'd all talked and said it would be silly to stand outside knocking considering how close they'd all become. Caroline came down the stairs in a robe.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Damon found out that he can't turn people into normal vampires anymore and he took off. I just wanted to know if he was here." Stefan said and Caroline's eyes widened.

"Not good. He already hates it so much." She said sadly. "He'll probably be out in the woods somewhere sulking or in the village bar." She replied and Stefan nodded then raced out the door. He scoured the woods and found Damon leaning against a tree looking annoyed. Stefan sat down across from him.

"I can turn Ric for you." Stefan said and Damon looked up.

"That's not really the point." Damon sighed.

"I know. But you did this for our protection. For Caroline, the baby and me." Stefan said.

"I don't know if I would have done it if I knew all the side effects." Damon shrugged.

"I still think you would have." Stefan nodded.

"The worst part is; I want you to do it too!" Damon exclaimed. "You can be killed by a little piece of wood." Damon huffed. "But I don't want you to go through all of this." He said.

"I'll do it if you want me to." Stefan nodded.

"Why? It's awful." Damon complained.

"It's not that awful. You're so strong you can kill Originals. I think it would be somewhat comforting to be strong enough to protect the people you care about. And I know Bonnie's spell helped with your urges." Stefan replied.

"That's the only comforting part." Damon shrugged. "But there's also the cravings, the mood swings, the inherent need to kill, the pain of the transformations, the inability to make vampires." He said sadly.

"Have you made a lot of vampires?" Stefan asked and Damon nodded.

"23." He replied and Stefan looked surprised. "22 on purpose." He shrugged. "Caroline was an accident. Have you?"

"Not even one." Stefan replied.

"Well, well, little brother. You're going to have to take over for me then." Damon smirked.

"You can still turn people." Stefan shrugged and Damon's expression darkened.

"No." Damon shook his head. "I won't. If you want to be a hybrid, talk to Klaus about it. I won't do it for you or anyone else."

* * *

><p>That night, Stefan arranged for them all to meet Karina. He was nervous about it, but not because he didn't think they would like her. He was worried that she wouldn't like them. He wouldn't give up his brother or friends for anyone and it was positively nerve wracking. Caroline and Damon were making dinner together for all of them at Klaus' house since that was where Stefan was living. Karina hadn't ever been to his home before. Stefan had told her that Klaus gets called Klaus, not Nick, and she hadn't made any comment that made him think she knew his real identity. They had all promised to be on their best behaviour, except Damon. Damon had said something along the lines of: I'll act how I want to act. Stefan wasn't nervous about Damon's behaviour since they'd become so close to each other again. He'd only been seeing Karina for a while so he hadn't gotten into the whole troubled past with Katherine and Damon.<p>

Damon and Caroline were making Alaric's favourite main course since he was the only human and they didn't technically need to eat human food. They were making fried mushrooms on Italian bread with blue cheese sauce for a starter and spicy meatloaf for the main course, requested by Ric. For dessert Damon made panna cotta and Caroline made chocolate cake. They were going to combine the two then drizzle it with a berry sauce.

When they were finished, they were just waiting for Karina to arrive so they all sat down around the dining table with drinks.

"Stop being so nervous, Stef." Damon smirked.

"Maybe she should have met you all individually before throwing her in the deep end like this." Stefan said as he fidgeted. Damon of course, rolled his eyes dramatically.

"It's not like we're going to bite her." Damon smirked. "Unless she asks nicely..." He winked and Caroline playfully smacked his arm.

"You aren't helping." Caroline said and Damon grinned.

"Who said I was trying to help?" Damon asked and Klaus laughed.

"I'm glad you've already met Zara or I'd be just as nervous about you meeting her." Klaus grinned.

"Don't worry; at our next appointment I'll mock you too." Damon winked and Klaus huffed. He shouldn't have said anything. "Ooh! I hear a car coming!" Damon said in his sing-song voice.

"Really?" Stefan asked surprised. He couldn't hear anything.

"I guess this hybrid thing has the occasional perk." Damon shrugged. "I think I should get the door." He grinned and Stefan scowled at him. "Fine, you get the door." Damon said. "No fun." He muttered.

Stefan walked up to the door and opened it only to see her car coming in the distance. He waited a minute for her to draw up before going down and opening her door. He smiled and kissed her hello then walked her up into the house.

"Be nice." Caroline whispered to Damon and he turned to look at her.

"I'm always nice." He quipped with a smirk.

"Damon?" Karina said in surprise and he snapped his head to the door, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Rina?" He exclaimed.


	6. Facing Reality

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 6

* * *

><p>Damon stood up from the table and went over to Karina with a smile and to everyone's surprise they hugged.<p>

"Jag visste inte att det var du." Damon said casually in Swedish. He was trying his best to keep the smile on his face. _(I didn't know it was you.)_

"Fan vad härligt det är att höra egen språk." She laughed. _(Damn, it's good to hear my own language.)_

"Tänk att du är med brorsan." He said raising an eyebrow and she laughed. _(Imagine that you are with my brother.)_

"Det är ju faktist en liten värld. Det vet du." She smiled. Meanwhile the rest of them stared in disbelief while they caught up. Stefan coughed to get their attention. _(It's a small world, you know that.)_

"So obviously, you know each other." Stefan deadpanned.

"Damon is my sire." Karina smiled at Stefan.

"If you'd showed me a picture like I asked, I could have told you that." Damon pointed out and Stefan could tell that Damon wasn't pleased.

"How did you not put two and two together?" He asked Karina.

"Because he told me his last name was Pressley and he was Elvis's brother." She laughed and Damon chuckled.

"I forgot about that." Damon said and he sounded a little embarrassed. "I only ever used Salvatore in Mystic Falls." He shrugged.

"Damon Pressley?" Klaus asked with a laugh. "Did you believe that?" He asked her and she shook her head no.

"No, but I figured he had a reason for keeping his real name to himself so I never bothered asking." She shrugged.

"This is my wife Caroline, that's Ric and that's Klaus." Damon pointed to them all. "Come and have a drink. Still like gin and tonic?" He asked her as he made his way over to the drinks cart.

"I do." She laughed and followed Stefan in. He didn't know how to feel about this. It was obvious that Damon knew her well... he wasn't sure he wanted to know just how well though. "Hi everyone! Nice to meet you all." She smiled as she sat down next to Stefan. Damon brought over her drink and retook his seat between Caroline and Ric. They all greeted her back. "So, I guess you know about vampires?" She asked Ric and he chuckled.

"I'm turning soon." He told her and she nodded in understanding. "When did you turn?" He asked her.

"March 1972, Gothenburg." Damon replied instantly with a frown and she laughed.

"Damon, you really get around." Ric laughed and Damon smirked.

"I haven't seen you in, what? Five years? What have you been doing? Besides my brother." Damon asked her and Caroline elbowed him.

"Travelling, mainly. You?" She asked.

"Terrorizing towns, corpse trails; the usual." Damon winked and she laughed.

"I can't believe you're married. That's just crazy." She laughed and Damon put his arm around Caroline and smiled at her.

"That's this one's fault." Damon nodded towards Caroline. "She's got me under her spell." He smirked and Karina smiled at him.

"I'm happy for you, Damon. You deserve it." She said and Caroline was sure she saw a moment of regret in Karina's eyes.

* * *

><p>Needless to say, the night didn't go as Stefan expected. Karina spent most of the evening talking to Damon and catching up and he was really conflicted about it all. He knew Damon wasn't interested in her and was a little annoyed at her presence there but could he be sure that she wasn't interested in Damon? He wanted to talk to Damon about it as soon as possible. She left just before midnight and they were all still gathered around the table as they were having a good time and didn't want to end it yet. Once Stefan was sure she was gone, he went back through.<p>

"Ok, explain." Stefan said to Damon and Damon sighed.

"She's not the one for you, Stefan." Damon said surprising everyone as they all thought she was great.

"Can we go talk?" Stefan asked and Damon nodded. He kissed Caroline then Stefan and Damon took a walk in the woods. "Why isn't she the one for me? And why were you so obviously uncomfortable with her being there?"

"Look, I like Rina. I do. She's my vampire after all. But, she'll break your heart, Stefan. She's more screwed up in the head than we ever were." Damon said honestly.

"How come?" He asked. Damon looked at him sceptically and decided to just tell him.

"When I was in Gothenburg that night, I was walking around getting a feel for the city when I heard a woman screaming. I don't know what made me head that way, but I did. I found Rina being beaten and raped by this huge guy. She wasn't able to protect herself at all, obviously. I killed the guy and saw that she was in essence, bleeding to death. I told her what I was and that I could save her but it would mean becoming a vampire and she accepted. After she turned, I took her back to my hotel so she could shower and transition then I trained her. It turns out the guy I killed was her older brother. He'd been doing that to her since she was 11 years old and she was pregnant with his kid when she died. Not far along, but she knew she was pregnant." Damon explained and Stefan gasped. "But Stef, she isn't quite right upstairs if you know what I mean."

"Who could blame her? That's a horrible thing to have happen to you." He said.

"It is. But she's not the one for you, Stefan." Damon said honestly. "I'm serious. I've kept tabs on her over the years and she never got better from it all." He said. "She's obsessed with hunting down rapists and she tortures them to death. I considered staking her a few times but she always begged me not to. She said she was getting better but she isn't." Damon said sadly.

"But I really like her." Stefan said and Damon nodded.

"I know that and I'm sorry." Damon said as he hugged him. "But you have to end it, Stef."

"And if I don't?" Stefan asked shyly though he knew he would take Damon's advice.

"Then I'll stake her." Damon promised. "I'm not having her screwing up my brother. No way. If you don't believe me, ask her how she turned. She'll have a fit and you'll see just how crazy she is." Damon said. "I'm not saying this to be a dick because I do want you to be happy. I'm saying this because she is actually nuts, and not in the fun way." He promised.

"She seems to really like you." Stefan pointed out.

"She thinks I'm her hero... I know; it's ridiculous... But in her mind, I saved her from a life of fearing her brother. She's from Stockholm and she moved to Gothenburg to get away from him but obviously he found her." He explained. "I should probably just stake her anyway." Damon said sadly. "She was way too messed up to be a vampire."

"Don't stake her, Damon, please. She might get better one day." Stefan pleaded and Damon sighed.

"I won't stake her if you end it." He said. "You don't know how crazy she is, Stef. That's why you can't see what I'm telling you. If you decided to ignore me and be with her anyway, one day you would want kinds like Barbie and I and if you mentioned that, she would lose it." Damon said and Stefan knew he was right. He did want to have children one day and despite everything, he trusted his brother.

* * *

><p>It was the day of the 16 week appointment and everyone went to the clinic except Stefan. He was depressed. He really liked Karina but he got a glimpse of what Damon meant when he ended things with her. She went nuts and started breaking all of her furniture while she screamed at him then started hitting herself. Stefan had explained that he wasn't ready for a serious relationship so soon after his last one and he felt that if they stayed together that's what would happen. It was a lie, obviously, but he could hardly tell her he was breaking up with her because his brother thought she was insane. He really just wanted to meet someone and have his happily ever after already. He watched Damon and Caroline and longed for what they had together. Even Klaus had a girlfriend. But Stefan understood that not every relationship was meant to last and he didn't give up hope.<p>

The scan just showed the baby's development and that he was a boy but they already knew that. It was still exciting for them to see him growing and Klaus wanted any excuse to go along with them to the clinic to see Zara. Ric and Damon had a silent conversation about her hotness when they saw her. Ric agreed that she was a total babe. Caroline noticed their interaction and she rolled her eyes. Boys will be boys.

* * *

><p>The following week, Caroline was freaking out. She was in full planning mode for her mother's wedding and the wedding planner she'd hired in Mystic Falls was useless. Normally a wedding planner would find all the locations and flowers etcetera, but Caroline was deciding everything with her mother over Skype and the wedding planner was just supposed to do what she was told. She wasn't though, so Caroline was freaking out. She really needed to go back to Mystic Falls for the final touches but Seth was coming over in a week's time and she wanted to see him. Damon was really looking forward to his visit. The rest of them were interested to meet this guy that Damon would actually admit to liking, since it took him months to admit he liked any of them.<p>

Zara and Klaus were supposed to be going on a double date with Damon and Caroline but Caroline was far too busy with the disaster that was her mother's wedding. Damon still wanted to go just to ogle her but Caroline had given him a firm 'Like that's going to happen' look and he'd cancelled. Klaus and Zara still went out regardless and they were getting along great. The sparks were flying, they were comfortable with each other and they felt like they'd known each other for months, not weeks.

"Is it weird for them since I work at the clinic? Is that why they cancelled?" Zara asked Klaus after they had ordered.

"No." Klaus shook his head. "Once you get to know Caroline, you'll see what she's like." Klaus laughed. "She's planning her mother's wedding and nothing is going right so she's going a bit mental." Klaus smiled.

"Oh, I understand." She laughed. "I helped my best friend plan hers and it was a nightmare." She smiled.

"I can only imagine." Klaus replied.

"You know, this is our ninth date and you've never asked me over to your house." She said to him. He'd been in her apartment a couple of times, though nothing happened.

"I'm sorry." Klaus said as he'd only just realised that himself. "It's just out of the way a bit; it's always easier to just pick you up when we're going out." He replied. "But I would love it if you would visit sometime." He smiled.

"Just tell me when and I'll be there." She smiled at him fondly.

"You could come over tonight, if you'd like to." Klaus said nervously and she beamed at him.

"I'm not working tomorrow." She winked and Klaus got his phone out to text Stefan:

_Can you stay at your brother's tonight, please? Zara is coming over!_

"We'll have the place to ourselves." Klaus smiled.

* * *

><p>Damon, Ric and Stefan were sitting in the man cave that Caroline had started, drinking leftover German beer when Stefan got the text and he laughed.<p>

"Damon, can I stay over here tonight?" Stefan asked and Damon looked confused.

"Sure. Why?" He asked and Stefan smirked.

"Because Zara is staying over tonight." He replied and Damon's jaw dropped.

"Lucky dog." Damon muttered and Ric laughed.

"Damon, you're married." He said and Damon rolled his eyes... Like he didn't know that...

"I am well aware of that." Damon replied.

* * *

><p>Damon was pissed. Not at anyone in particular, just in general. He put it down to the fact that Caroline hadn't had sex with him since he came back from Germany. She'd been too busy finishing the decorating or planning her mother's wedding and he was sick of it. There was only so much time he could spend with Stefan, Ric and Klaus... He wanted his wife back. Their promise to have the date night and family day had gone out the window and he was annoyed. How were they supposed to get better if she was always too busy for him? He walked up the stairs only to find her talking to her mother on Skype and that pissed him off too. He marched over and pushed the laptop screen down, putting it on standby.<p>

"Hey!" She exclaimed. "That was important." She scolded and he frowned.

"I've had enough of this." He said to her and she looked confused. "Since I came back from Germany, you haven't had more than five minutes a day for me and I've had enough. We haven't once had our date night, nor have we had our whole day together. How are we supposed to work on things if you just ignore me?" He asked her and she looked guilty.

"I'm sorry, Damon. I guess I have been pretty wrapped up in this." She conceded. She knew she had to travel back to the States soon for the final wedding details but she didn't want to bring that up yet.

"I shouldn't have to remind you to have time for me." Damon said then walked back to the top of the stairs. "By the way, Stefan's staying over because Klaus is getting laid. Wonder what that feels like? I think I've forgotten." He said then continued down the stairs. Caroline sighed. They had promised to have time for each other and she felt badly. She wasn't really sure what to do about it, since Damon would think she was doing it was only because he was mad at her. Things had been going so well after New York and it wasn't that she didn't love Damon because she did; she just overextended herself yet again. Then she got an idea...

* * *

><p>Damon was watching a soccer game with Alaric and Stefan, though he wasn't paying much attention to it. He was thinking over the stupid argument with Caroline and figured he should apologise for being such a grouch. It was just difficult to contain his anger once it appeared considering his new supernatural status as a hybrid. He was about to go up stairs to find Caroline when he got a text message from her.<p>

_I'm hiding in the woods, come seek me ;)_

He smirked and left the room then went outside. His sense of smell was heightened as well so he could follow her trail easily. He walked into the woods and there was the occasional candle lighting the way through the dark woods. He wasn't worried about her being in the woods alone since Klaus had vampires stationed throughout the woods for protection. He liked this very much and was looking forward to finally finding her. He followed the path for a few minutes until he found her. His jaw dropped at what he was seeing. She had put out blankets on the ground, making a kind of bed and she was lounging against a tree in a tartan skirt that was practically a belt, a white shirt that was cut to stop just under her chest where she had tied it in a knot, displaying her toned stomach. She was also wearing a white suspender belt and white stockings and knee length high heeled lace up boots. Her red hair was up in sexy pigtails and she had put on dark eye make up to look every bit the bad girl. Damon hardened at the sight of her.

"I've been a naughty girl... However will you punish me?" She cocked an eyebrow and Damon smirked. Damon like. Damon like a lot.

* * *

><p>Seth's grandmother died so he postponed his visit until November. It was Damon's birthday on the 9th of November so Seth said he would visit then. Ric decided to wait until after the Sheriff's wedding to turn since he was invited but would most likely have trouble sitting on a plane for so long if he'd be just turned. They had also postponed their hunting training until Ric could join in. Damon didn't need much training since only Klaus could kill him, but he enjoyed it anyway.<p>

A couple of weeks went by and things were fairly quiet. Damon and Caroline made time for each other, had dates, had lots of sex, they even went away for the weekend once and had a great time together. Their relationship was stronger than ever and Damon was planning to put the ring on soon. Klaus was still dating Zara and things were great. He was falling steadily in love with her, but was becoming more nervous every day about when he would finally tell her what he was. Stefan spent a lot of time with Ric since they were the only single ones. They went out to bars and clubs and hooked up with a few different girls on their nights out but didn't meet anyone special. Ric felt really happy that he'd decided to join this life of the supernatural as he felt like he fit in with them all well... Even Klaus. Caroline was spending some time with Zara too... loving that she finally had a girl to talk to!

On the 25th of October, they were having a dinner party at Damon and Caroline's, including Zara. She fit in with the little group well. They had a nice dinner with different types of Italian food that Damon made, since Stefan couldn't cook to save himself, a few bottles of wine, then they were sat round the seating area talking to each other about different things including the babies, stuff they wanted to do and places they wanted to go. Caroline was sitting next to Damon and he had his arm around her as she leaned into his shoulder. Her phone rang and she didn't recognize the number but knew it was from the States.

"Hello?" She answered and they all stopped talking, giving her silence to speak to whoever called.

"_Caroline?_" Damon stiffened immediately and took his arm back from her as he waited for her to answer. He couldn't help the reflex.

"Tyler?" She asked in disbelief.


	7. Trust

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 7

* * *

><p>Stefan looked pissed. Klaus looked pissed. Damon looked way too calm. Alaric looked worried. Caroline looked horrified.<p>

"_Caroline, I need your help._" Tyler said and Caroline sighed. She stood up and went outside the house and started walking into the woods so she could talk to him without anyone else hearing the conversation. She wasn't sure what he would say.

"Tyler, Damon nearly left me the last time I helped you. Why would I help you again?" She asked annoyed.

"_I did something... I accidentally killed someone and Bonnie kicked me out. I don't have control over myself. I need you, Caroline. You turned me, please help._" He said and Caroline could tell he was crying. It broke her heart if she were honest, as she remembered the feeling well. She remembered not having control over herself but she had help.

"Where are you now?" Caroline asked rolling her eyes. She had no idea how she could help him and still keep Damon. She wasn't interested in Tyler in that way but he was still her friend and she did still care about him.

"_I'm still in New York but I'm trying to stay away from people, which isn't really possible here. I need to get control over this but you're the only vampire I know! It's not like Damon is going to help me!_" Tyler complained.

"Fine, I'll see if anyone knows any vampires in that area that would be willing to help you. I'll call you back on this number." She snapped and hung up. She sat down on the ground in the woods and leaned against a tree. She was scared to go back to the house. She was scared to face Damon. They hadn't talked about her indiscretion since they were on the plane to New York. She had talked about it with Stefan but that was only that one time when he came to apologise to her. It seemed to be a taboo subject. So instead, she sat in the woods leaning against the tree. Damon came to find her just under half an hour later. She could tell he was forcing himself to stay calm. He sat down across from her and looked like he was figuring out the right thing to say.

"I didn't know you were still keeping in touch with Lockwood." He said trying to sound casual but failing.

"I'm not." She shook her head. "I haven't spoken to him since we were in Mystic Falls." She replied shyly. If she had contact with Tyler, she would have told him.

"So... what did he want?" Damon asked although he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Apparently Bonnie's been trying to help him with his urges but he accidentally killed someone so she kicked him out." Caroline replied and Damon's face hardened.

"He was living with her?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"In New York?" Damon asked.

"Yes." Caroline replied, not really understanding the problem.

"In the apartment Bonnie is living in there?" He asked for clarification.

"Yes, Damon. Why does it matter?" Caroline asked.

"Because that's my apartment Bonnie's living in. Well, ours I guess." Damon said and Caroline looked shocked. She didn't know that.

"I can see why that would make you mad." Caroline said looking down at the ground. "When did that happen?" She asked curiously.

"Bonnie's birthday present." Damon shrugged. He hadn't told her about the money either.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked curiously.

"I didn't want to embarrass her." He shrugged. "So he can't control himself, what does he want from you?" Damon asked curiously.

"He said I have to help him since I turned him." Caroline said sadly. "I wish I hadn't." She said and Damon nodded. He wished she hadn't done it either but it was done.

"That is your job as his sire." Damon said annoyed and Caroline looked confused.

"What? What are you saying?" She asked.

"Go to New York and help him." Damon replied like it was obvious and her eyes widened. She had no idea why he would say that.

"Why would you tell me to do that?" She asked.

"Because even though I hate him and I will kill him if I see him again..." Damon warned. "You two are friends." He said. "And if you help him then maybe Bonnie will take over for you again afterwards." Damon shrugged.

"You can't be serious." She replied.

"I know you also have to go to Mystic Falls for wedding stuff, so two birds and all that." Damon replied. He didn't want her to go but she had supported him when he took off to spend time with Stefan when they needed it most.

"Is this a test?" She asked him because she really couldn't understand why he would tell her to go help the guy she cheated on him with. He smiled sadly.

"No." He shook his head. "You aren't like me, Caroline. I could just easily stake him and never think about him again. You want to help everyone and I accept that." He said. "You promised not to change me and you haven't tried to. It wouldn't be fair of me to expect you to change just because it's an awkward situation." He said then pulled out the little velvet drawstring bag from his pocket, took his wedding ring out and put it on his finger. "I trust you." He said to her and she blinked in surprise. Before she could reply he spoke again. "I will send him a few vials of my blood. It will age him like Klaus' blood did for us. If you give him one every day he'll age a few decades and he should have better control." Damon added.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Damon drove Caroline to the airport so she could fly to New York. She promised to call every day so he knew she was safe. They had some fun in a supply closet before she went through security because Damon didn't want her to think he was mad at her... And he would be going without again and he wanted something to think about while she was gone. He drove back home, in a bit of a mood, why did he agree to this again? He parked his car and walked in to find Stefan, Ric and Klaus playing poker.<p>

"Hey, where have you been?" Stefan asked with a smile.

"Just dropping Barbie off at the airport." He shrugged and sat down at the table after getting himself a beer and they all looked at him in confusion.

"Why?" Klaus asked.

"She's flying to New York to help Lockwood." Damon shrugged taking a sip of his beer. He didn't care that it was the morning – he needed it.

"Did you just say..." Ric started before Stefan exploded.

"Are you out of your mind?" Stefan yelled. "Caroline and Tyler? As in they are going to be alone... What the hell is wrong with you?" Stefan exclaimed.

"Calm down, Stefan." Damon rolled his eyes. "I don't like it either but I don't own her." He shrugged. "She is his sire and it's a sire's responsibility to train their vampires." Damon said.

"While that may be true... This does seem a little strange. Even for you." Klaus said.

"Do you have other reasons for this?" Stefan asked suspiciously. "Are you looking for an out or something?" Stefan asked and Damon laughed.

"No, I'm not. But if I really am going to be with her forever, I need to be able to trust her." Damon replied honestly because it was true. He did trust that nothing would happen. They were solid as a couple, even if he was a little tiny bit worried.

"Once a cheater, always a cheater." Stefan said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"You got that from Friends." Damon said.

"Doesn't mean it isn't true." Stefan pointed out.

"I've cheated on plenty of women before, doesn't mean I'll cheat on Barbie. So I don't think that's true." Damon pointed out.

"Well, I don't think..." Stefan started when Damon cut him off.

"Stefan! Stop. Don't tell me what you think because I didn't ask." Damon exclaimed. "Now shut up and move on. She's going to New York then Mystic Falls. After that she's coming home to me." Damon said seriously. "Anyway, I thought the two of you were supposed to be friends?" Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"We are friends... Doesn't mean I'd trust her with Tyler." Stefan mumbled.

"Look, she knows the deal." Damon replied. "If she does anything with Lockwood again, she knows not to come back."

"And what would you do if she didn't come back?" Stefan asked and Damon thought about it. He had considered that, if only briefly. He would most likely go on a rampage but he didn't say that.

"I don't even have to think about that, because nothing's going to happen." Damon replied.

"But..."

"Stefan, what part of shut up and move on didn't you understand?" Damon asked and Stefan frowned.

"Maybe we should have her followed." Klaus shrugged.

"No. Absolutely not. She would kill me for doing that." Damon replied and Klaus nodded. That was definitely something to consider, Klaus thought, and the look he was getting from Stefan said the same thing.

* * *

><p>Stefan and Klaus talked about it when they were alone and decided that someone checking on her would be beneficial. If only for protection... mostly. They didn't want Damon to be hurt again and although they both loved Caroline... they knew she was very young and mistakes happen. It would be better to know than not know, even if they never told Damon about it. Klaus made a call to a loyal vampire in the area who agreed to check up on her while she was in New York.<p>

* * *

><p>Bonnie picked Caroline up from the airport. They were so excited to see each other as they hadn't had much of a chance to spend time with each other last time. Caroline was staying with Bonnie in what she'd just found out was Damon's apartment. She hadn't told Bonnie yet that she was here to help Tyler, she wanted to find out what happened exactly first. They went up to the apartment and Caroline was gobsmacked at the size of it.<p>

"Wow, this place is nice." Caroline said and Bonnie looked surprised.

"You do know it's Damon's place, right?" Bonnie asked.

"I found out yesterday." Caroline said. "Oh, he asked me to give you this." Caroline pulled out a thick brown envelope addressed to Bonnie and handed it to her.

"What is it?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"I have no idea." Caroline shrugged. "I'll go put my stuff in the spare room while you deal with that." She pointed to the envelope. Bonnie nodded and showed her the room then went over to sit on the couch. She opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of papers and looked over them and her jaw dropped. Damon had signed over the deed to her... He had given her the apartment. He had been planning to do it all along but just hadn't gotten around to it. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked over the papers where he'd signed then she noticed a little note on the bottom.

_Judgy,_

_I never use it anyway so maybe you can call that place home while you're in the Big Apple. Take care of my girl._

_Love,_

_Your favourite vampire (insert smirk here)_

Bonnie read the note and laughed. She'd only been in the apartment for just over a month but she adored the place and couldn't believe it was now hers. Then she noticed the name written in the previous owner's space and she smiled.

"Caroline?" Bonnie called and the vampire came out of the room. "When did this happen?" Bonnie giggled and pointed. Caroline looked and her jaw dropped.

_Damon Forbes-Salvatore_

Caroline stared at the name and she started to cry. He'd done that for her. He'd changed his name for her. She wanted to forget all about helping Tyler and just go home to the love of her life. Bonnie was confused as to why she was crying but hugged her anyway.

"He changed his name for me." Caroline whispered then Bonnie understood that she didn't know. Damon had grown on Bonnie. At first she'd thought Damon grew on her like cancer – a disease that is difficult to get rid of that would most likely kill you... but now, she considered him a good friend and she even trusted him. He had done more for her than anyone ever had before and he hadn't boasted about it or made it public as he knew it would embarrass her. She had to admit, she could see the allure of Damon Salvatore. Or... Damon Forbes-Salvatore as it was.

* * *

><p>Damon was sitting on the couch watching the first season of Prison Break and he was hooked. He was literally sitting at the edge of his seat in anticipation of the next big thing that would happen. He wasn't one to get sucked into things like this but he had to admit, this was well written. His phone rang and he reluctantly paused the show since it was Caroline calling.<p>

"Hello, my dear." He answered with a smile.

"_You changed your name!_" She exclaimed and he rolled his eyes. Damn that little witch! He had planned to surprise her with it for Christmas and now he couldn't.

"You weren't supposed to find out like that." Damon replied annoyed.

"_I can't believe you did that! That is the nicest thing anyone has ever done!_" She told him and he chuckled. She said that about everything.

"So I take it you arrived alright then?" He asked.

"_I'm in the apartment now._" She replied.

"Is Lockwood with you?" He asked.

"_No, I'm hanging out with Bonnie for a while before I even think about dealing with that._" She said and he nodded. He could understand that she would want some time with her best friend.

"Maybe Bonnie could work her mojo with that bloodlust spell she put on me." Damon suggested.

"_I'll ask._" She replied. "_Thank you for what you did, both for me and for her._"

"Does she like the place?" Damon asked curiously. "If she doesn't she can sell it and buy something else." He shrugged and Caroline gasped.

"_Have you seen this place? Of course she likes it! Who wouldn't?_" She exclaimed and he laughed.

"Just tell her that I won't be offended if she sells it to buy something else, okay?" He said.

"_I'll tell her. I miss you already._" She said and he grinned.

"You only left this morning." He teased but he missed her too.

"_Still. What are you doing today?_" She asked.

"I'm partying it up with sorority girls." He smirked and she laughed. "You know what they say; when the cat's away the mice will play." He quipped and she giggled.

"_What are you really doing?_" She asked happily.

"Watching Prison Break." He chuckled and she giggled. "But we're having a boys' night out tonight." Damon said.

"_That's good. You know; you guys should go away for the week and have like a boys' vacation._" She suggested. It wasn't a bad idea in fact.

"I'll see what the rest of them say." Damon agreed. "Klaus might want to stay and be whipped though." Damon laughed.

"_Just tell him Zara will still be there when he gets back._" She said.

"I've been thinking about what we did before you got on the plane." Damon grinned. "I think we should have phone sex... put that video calling option to good use." He said and she laughed but he could tell she was embarrassed by the idea.

"_Damon, Bonnie is right here._" Caroline said and Damon smirked.

"And now you're putting ideas in my head." He replied and she gasped.

"_Damon!_" She exclaimed.

"What? It would be hot." He defended.

"_I'm hanging up now._" She laughed.

"You do that." He laughed.

"_I love you._" She replied and he smiled.

"Stop being a sap, Barbie." He said and she laughed. "Oh, what the hell." He smirked. "I love you too."

"_I know that._" She smiled and they hung up. Damon grinned every time she told him she loved him. He sighed happily then put Prison Break back on.

* * *

><p>Bonnie looked at Caroline when she hung up the phone, noticing the huge grin on her face. She knew how much she loved him.<p>

"What did he say?" Bonnie asked with a giggle and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Just Damon being Damon." She giggled. Bonnie could imagine.

"So why did you really come here so quickly if things are good between you?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Tyler called." Caroline replied and Bonnie's eyes bugged. "He needs help."

"And Damon let you come here?" Bonnie asked in disbelief.

"It was his idea." Caroline replied honestly. "He says it's my responsibility to make sure Tyler has his training."

"He was staying here." Bonnie said nervously. She hadn't told Damon about that since she didn't want him to be mad.

"I know, Tyler told me." Caroline replied. "Not only that, you can smell him all over that room." She said.

"You didn't tell Damon did you?" Bonnie asked.

"Of course." She nodded.

"Was he mad?"

"For like 12 seconds." Caroline replied. "But he's over it." She said.

"Is he over you cheating on him?" Bonnie asked and Caroline winced.

"I don't think he's ever going to be completely over it, but he told me he trusts me." Caroline replied and Bonnie nodded.

"You aren't going to do it again, though, right?" Bonnie asked for clarification.

"No, of course not." She said. "I never want to hurt Damon ever again." She replied.

"Did he say anything about that?" Bonnie asked.

"Not before I left, no. But he told me when we left Mystic Falls that if I ever cheat on him again, I shouldn't bother coming back." She said.

"That's fair." Bonnie nodded. "I wouldn't have been as forgiving." Bonnie pointed out.

"Neither would I." Caroline agreed. "I was surprised he forgave me at all."

"Are you happy over there? With all of them?" Bonnie asked curiously. Since Damon brought up her turning, she thought about it constantly. Caroline smiled widely.

"It's amazing." She nodded. "I love it there. I'm so happy with them all it just doesn't feel real sometimes." Caroline admitted. "Sure, I wish there were more girls around." Caroline laughed. "Usually it's just me with Damon, Stefan, Nicky and Ric." She smiled. "Our dynamic is funny but it works really well." She smiled.

"Nicky?" Bonnie asked confused and Caroline giggled.

"Klaus." She smiled. "I'm the only one allowed to call him that though." She grinned.

"You really like Klaus?" Bonnie asked sceptically.

"He's like the older brother I always wanted. Sure he can be vicious and brutal with people who want to hurt us, but with me he's sweet and kind and thoughtful. Like if Damon and I have a fight, he'll take me shopping to make me feel better, while Stefan deals with Damon." Caroline smiled. "And when Damon and Stefan were on their brother bonding vacation; Klaus asked me to stay at his house so I wouldn't be alone and he could protect me then the two of us hung out together all week. It was great." She grinned.

"How is Ric dealing with being around him all the time?" Bonnie asked curiously. That was not the Klaus she imagined he would be.

"At first it was kind of awkward but they are becoming friends." She nodded.

"Has Ric turned yet?" Bonnie asked.

"No, he's turning when we get back from my mom's wedding." Caroline grinned. "Damon is so excited about that!" She exclaimed.

"Why's he waiting so long?" Bonnie asked.

"Bloodlust." Caroline shrugged. "He'll find it hard to sit on a plane for so long if he only just turned."

"Oh, by the way, how is that spell working for Damon?" Bonnie remembered.

"Great." Caroline grinned. "He just sits in the house in wolf form now sometimes." She laughed. "Klaus told him he has to keep changing regularly so his body is used to it. If we're ever in a fight and he needs it, it's not like he can waste time lying on the ground changing for 15 minutes." Caroline shrugged.

"Makes sense. How's everything going with the baby?" Bonnie asked and Caroline smiled softly at the thought. She couldn't wait for him to finally be with them.

"Great. We check in on the surrogate twice a week in case she needs anything and we were at the 16 week scan a few weeks ago and he's developing nicely. I'm getting impatient now." Caroline giggled.

"It's great that you can still be a mom." Bonnie nodded with a smile.

"It is. I know it's kind of crazy that I'm 18 and I'm going to be a mom on purpose." She giggled. "But I can't wait. We are all so looking forward to it." She smiled.

"How is that going to work with the hunting you guys are planning on doing?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, we're going to stay in Amsterdam for a few years since we all love it there. But after the babies are born, we'll start travelling to places to hunt. We're going to be separated into two teams and there will always be either Damon or Klaus with the kids for protection." She replied.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, for example, the first team could be Damon, Stefan and Ric, leaving me and Klaus to take care of the babies, then the next time it could be me, Stefan and Klaus while Damon and Ric look after the babies." She said. "See what I mean?"

"Are you and Damon ever going to go together?" She asked and Caroline shook her head no.

"He would be too distracted with my safety to be able to concentrate. Plus, we don't want to have to leave the baby without one of us there." She said. "Klaus and I will be the ones going the least since Klaus will be a single parent and I don't want to constantly kill things. I do like the idea of hunting bad creatures, but I don't want to do it all the time." She said. "Maybe by then Zara will be a vampire so she might offer to take care of the twins." Caroline shrugged.

"Who's Zara?" Bonnie asked.

"Nicky's girlfriend." Caroline grinned. "He's so sweet on her! They are so cute together, even though Damon's totally jealous." Caroline laughed.

"Why is Damon jealous?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Because, apparently Zara is a fox." Caroline giggled. She knew that she was the only one for Damon so she didn't feel threatened by his little crush on her.

"At least he's honest." Bonnie laughed.

"I hope Stefan and Ric get girlfriends soon, I really want some more girls around." Caroline smiled.

"Are Stefan and Ric okay with the thought they'll have to help look after your kids?" Bonnie chuckled.

"We have an agreement with them about it. We'll do the same for them one day when they do it." Caroline nodded. "And it's not like they'll have to do too much since there will always be at least one of the parents around when a hunt is on." Caroline shrugged. "Though, it would be nice to have a few more vampires in the hunting party. I'm not worried about Damon and Klaus since they are basically indestructible now, but I worry for Stefan and Ric." She confessed then was hit with an idea. "Oh my god! I can't believe I just realised this now! You have to meet Seth!" Caroline exclaimed.

"The guy you met on vacation?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah! He's awesome! I think you'd like him." Caroline smirked and nudged her friend while Bonnie giggled nervously. "He goes to Columbia too. We're totally setting this up while I'm here." She grinned.

"What's he like?" Bonnie asked.

"He's tall and hot in the kind of good boy way, even though he's a total rascal." Caroline laughed. "He's kind of snarky like Damon but he's also really fun and nice." Caroline said. "I think he'd be great for you. God, I can't believe I never thought of it before!" She exclaimed.

* * *

><p>Caroline had been procrastinating all day with Bonnie to avoid going to see Tyler but she had to get it over with. She called him and told her she had flown to New York and he gave her the address of the abandoned warehouse he was hiding in. She found it and was disgusted by the place. With the kind of money his family had, he could have afforded a hotel room, but she wasn't there to judge, just to help. She walked into the warehouse.<p>

"Tyler?" She called and seconds later he was hugging her.

"I can't believe you came. Thank you." He said into her neck. She hugged him back reluctantly then let go.

"You needed help so I'm here." She said casually though it was good to see him. "First, drink this." She pulled out the vial of Damon's blood and handed it to him.

"What is it?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.

"Blood that will help you." She replied and he cocked an eyebrow.

"Who's blood?" He asked and she sighed.

"Damon's." She replied and he looked surprised.

"Why would he send his blood? How will this help?" He asked confused.

"It will help because he and Klaus are the two strongest creatures on this planet. His blood will age you in vampire years which will help with your urges. At the end of this week, you will be the equivalent of maybe a 50 to 70 year old vampire." She explained and Tyler looked taken aback.

"Why would he do this for me?" Tyler asked.

"Because he loves me, and you are my friend." Caroline replied. She had no idea that Damon had an ulterior motive in giving Tyler his blood.

"So he forgave you for what happened?" Tyler cocked an eyebrow.

"He did." She nodded.

"That's good... I think." He shrugged.

"Just drink it, Tyler. I promise it will help." She said and he nodded. He drank down the vial greedily as it tasted incredible.

"How do you know this will age me?" He asked after he handed her the vial back.

"Because we all did it with Klaus. I'm like 400 years old now." She giggled and his eyes widened.

* * *

><p>Damon was in the village bar with his brother and two best friends when he felt it and he couldn't help the smug smirk that appeared on his face. Now, he would always be able to find Lockwood...<p>

* * *

><p>Caroline forced Tyler to get himself a hotel room. She allowed him to compel a suite since the size of it would dilute the human smell in the hotel for him. She spent an hour or so in the room talking to him about different ways to help with control before leaving to meet Seth and Bonnie for dinner. She promised Tyler that she would be back the next day with another vial and some blood bags. She went back to what was now Bonnie's apartment; got changed then they left to meet Seth.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Bonnie/Seth has been planned since I created Seth, so enjoy ;)**


	8. Damon Being Epic

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

**Sorry for taking so long to update! I just needed a little break from this story as I was literally stumped for ideas, but the ideas are back so things will be in full swing again :)**

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><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 8

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><p>Caroline and Bonnie sat in Seth's favourite restaurant in Brooklyn, the one Caroline and Damon had been at with him before, waiting for Seth to arrive. He'd been so excited that Caroline was back in New York, he rearranged his plans for the evening so he could see her. He came in the door with a huge grin on his face and Caroline grinned back as she stood up and they hugged.<p>

"Man it's good to see you, Cookie!" He smiled then sat down in the seat across from Caroline.

"You too, Captain America." She giggled.

"That's Dart Man's nickname for me." He pointed out.

"Yeah, but Damon's not here so I figured I'd give it a try." She grinned. "Seth, this is my best friend Bonnie. Bonnie, Seth." Caroline said and Seth stuck his hand out and took hers then kissed her hand and Caroline giggled.

"Nice to meet you, Seth." Bonnie blushed and Caroline cocked an eyebrow.

"So how's my favourite chick vamp?" Seth asked Caroline and Bonnie looked stunned.

"You only added chick because Damon's your favourite vamp." Caroline laughed and Seth shrugged.

"I do love that dude." Seth nodded with a grin. "But you're both my favourite vamps." He chuckled.

"He knows?" Bonnie asked in disbelief.

"Of course." Caroline grinned. "He was so cool about it too. Damon knew he would be but I was sceptical."

"That's because the D Man gets me." Seth pointed out and Bonnie laughed.

"Please tell me why you call Damon, Dart Man." Bonnie said.

"Because, he can't throw a dart to save his life. You'd think with being a vampire and all he'd have some skills but no." Seth shook his head with a laugh. "He was so bad, it was embarrassing." He grinned and Caroline chuckled at the memory.

"Do you tease him this much to his face?" Bonnie asked wide eyed.

"More." Caroline nodded, understanding what Bonnie was getting at.

"Brave guy." Bonnie said.

"I'm really sorry about your grandma, Seth." Caroline said softly. "Damon told me what happened."

"Thanks, Cookie. It was tough but I'm dealing." Seth smiled kindly at her. "I'm really sorry that I had to bail on you guys but I can't wait for D's birthday." He grinned.

"Are you flying back with me?" She asked.

"When are you flying back?" He asked.

"Well, I'm in New York for five days then heading to Mystic Falls for two days then back here for two days so... I guess that's the 4th of November?" She asked.

"Sure." He nodded. "Tell me your flight details and I'll book my ticket." He grinned.

"Want to come, Bon?" Caroline smiled.

"You sure I'll be safe?" Bonnie asked sceptically.

"I swear." Caroline said. "I talked to Nicky about it already." She shrugged.

"Okay, I'll come too." Bonnie smiled.

"This is going to be so great! Damon's going to be so excited!" She exclaimed happily.

"Cookie said you're at Columbia too, what's your major?" Seth asked.

"History." She smiled.

"That's cool." He grinned. "I guess the vamps can give you personal stories about some stuff." He laughed and Bonnie smiled.

"Not only that, but Damon's best friend is our old history teacher." Caroline chuckled.

"You're living with your teacher?" Seth chuckled.

"It isn't weird like it sounds. Ric's awesome. He's a vampire hunter." Caroline replied and Seth laughed loudly.

"A vampire hunter living with a bunch of vampires? There's got to be a joke in there somewhere." He replied.

"He's turning too." Caroline grinned.

"Yeah, D told me." Seth smiled. "I'm really glad you came, Cookie, because I've made my decision." He grinned.

"Already?" Caroline asked surprised.

"I couldn't get the hunting out of my mind and I'm in." Seth grinned.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed. "I'm so happy!" Caroline stood up and hugged him. Bonnie watched quietly. Seth was really, really good looking and he was choosing to be a vampire. She'd been thinking a lot about it herself and felt as a witch, she could do a lot of good hunting down creatures. Plus, the only true friends she had were mostly vampires, with Elena being the only exception. She decided that she would see what their life was like when she visited for Damon's birthday and if it looked nice, she would turn too. Not only that, but she kind of liked the thought of having her best friend with her forever. She'd been reluctant before because of all the death involved and the inability to have children, but it seemed because of the necklace and Damon's blood, she could avoid having to be a monster and still have children one day. The Bennett line didn't have to end with her. "Can I call Damon? He's going to be like a little kid in a candy store!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Go ahead. But isn't it late there?" Seth asked.

"He's on a boy's night out, he'll be up." Caroline grinned. "God this means it's just going to be me with five guys." She giggled. "You all need to get girlfriends." She giggled. She got her phone out and dialled Damon's number.

"_Hey sexy!_" Damon answered happily and Caroline giggled, knowing he was wasted.

"I have great news!" Caroline replied.

"_I love great news!_" He replied and she laughed loudly at him being so drunk.

"I'm at dinner with Seth and he's decided to turn!" Caroline informed him.

"_WHAT? YES! BEST NEWS EVER!_" Damon yelled so loudly both Seth and Bonnie heard him and they laughed. "_Put Captain America on!_" He said and Caroline rolled her eyes and handed Seth the phone.

"Sup Dart Man!" Seth said into the phone with a grin.

"_I'm so happy I could kiss you!_" Damon said and Seth could tell he was ridiculously drunk.

"You can give me a big wet one when I see you, dude." Seth joked and Damon laughed loudly as did the girls.

"_Just get Barbie to give you one for me!_" Damon exclaimed.

"That didn't work out too well last time, dude." Seth said.

"_Yeah, but that was because it was Lockwood._" Damon pointed out and Seth chuckled. Caroline's eyes widened. She had no idea that Seth knew about that as he hadn't said anything.

"How about I just hug her instead?" Seth smirked and Damon laughed.

"_See this is why I like you, man. What are you two doing?_" Damon asked.

"We're at dinner in Brooklyn with Bonnie." Seth said.

"_JUDGY! Put her on!_" Damon cheered and Bonnie laughed as she heard him yell her annoying nickname.

"Will do." Seth laughed. "See you soon." He said then handed the phone to Bonnie.

"Hi, Damon." Bonnie said with an amused smile.

"_Judgy!_" He greeted happily and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"How are you?" She asked him and he chuckled.

"_Verging on passing out drunk._" Damon replied and Bonnie laughed as Caroline rolled her eyes.

"I can hear that." She smiled. "Thank you for what you did." She said knowing he would know what she meant.

"_You deserve it. You're the love of my life's best friend and you're a good friend to me even though I don't deserve it._" Damon said and Bonnie blinked in surprise.

"I'm coming to see you for your birthday." Bonnie smiled.

"_Excellent! Barbie will be so happy to have you here! God, I love that woman!_" Damon said and Bonnie laughed.

"I know you do." Bonnie nodded and it was obvious that Caroline was getting a little emotional.

"_No really. Even though it kills me that she's helping Lockwood, I'd do anything for her. She's everything to me._" Damon slurred and Caroline couldn't help the tears that fell down her cheeks. Seth took her hand and squeezed it. He couldn't hear what Damon was saying but knew she could.

"She's lucky to have you, Damon." Bonnie replied. She was amused at his drunken confession as he would be kicking himself when he remembered in the morning.

"_No, I'm the lucky one. If she'd been around in 1864, I would never have looked at Katherine twice. Please take care of her while she's there. I can't protect her from here but I didn't want to crowd her by going with her. I didn't want her to think I don't trust her because I do._" Damon said and Bonnie turned to look at Caroline who was wiping her tears with her napkin. It took Bonnie's breath away to hear just how much her best friend meant to him.

"You should tell Caroline that." Bonnie said.

"_I know she can hear me._" Damon replied startling both of them.

"I'll put her on." Bonnie said with a smile and gave the phone back to Caroline.

"Damon?" Caroline asked and he could tell she was crying.

"_No, why are you crying my sweet?_" He asked her.

"Because, I'm coming home tomorrow. Screw Tyler. I miss you." She said and Damon chuckled.

"_I'll still be here waiting for you when you get back._" He said repeating her words back to her that she'd said when he was in Germany. "_Help your friend and spend some time with your mother._"

"Are you sure?" She asked him.

"_No, I want you to come home._" He chuckled. "_But you can bring me a present when you come back instead._" He said and she laughed. It seemed to be their thing.

"I already had ideas for that." She grinned.

"_You wrapped in a bow would be my first choice._" He said and she giggled.

"You got it." She said.

"_Now go have some fun. You don't want to be that loser wife who sits on the phone talking to her husband._" He laughed repeating her words and she giggled.

"I love you." She said.

"_I know. I love you too._" He said to her and she said bye and hung up.

"You two are like obsessed with each other." Seth smirked and Caroline laughed.

"It's unhealthy how much I adore that man." Caroline nodded.

"I don't think anyone has ever been loved as much as you are by Damon." Bonnie smiled at her friend.

"Nah, you're wrong." Caroline smirked. "I love him more." She giggled and Seth rolled his eyes.

"You're all saps." He chuckled. "But it would be really nice to find someone like that." Seth smiled.

"I guess it helps that when you're a vampire your emotions are intensified." Caroline shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Seth cocked his head in curiosity.

"Well, if you're mad, you're really mad, if you're in love, you're madly, head over heels in love." She said. "It can be a little dramatic at times." Caroline chuckled.

"Life would be boring without a little drama." Seth smirked.

* * *

><p>Damon turned around to go back inside the club to find Ric, Klaus and Stefan looking at him amused.<p>

"Oh, shut up." Damon said and they all burst out laughing. He knew he had been a little forward with all his ramblings but they were true and he didn't care. He did adore her beyond belief. "Why are you out here anyway?" He asked annoyed.

"You just disappeared." Stefan shrugged.

"I thought you went home." Ric said. They were all really drunk but as Ric was the only human left, he had a harder time staying on his feet and Stefan had his arm around him to support him.

"Then we find you declaring your love." Klaus chuckled.

"It's not like it's a secret." Damon shrugged. "You all know how much I love her, so tease all you want." Damon smirked.

"We came out to you yelling 'best news ever', what's the news?" Stefan asked through hooded lids.

"Seth decided to join us." Damon grinned widely.

"Excellent." Klaus smiled. "Though, Caroline is going to complain about having yet another male around."

"Yes, but Judgy is coming over for my birthday apparently, so if we can convince her that we're living a good life, she might turn too. That could be really useful, having a vampire witch." Damon pointed out and Klaus nodded.

"As long as she doesn't try to kill me again." Klaus said raising an eyebrow.

"She won't, as long as you don't try to kill her again." Damon smirked and Klaus rolled his eyes.

"Caroline already warned me to be nice to her friend." Klaus said with a chuckle.

"Can we go home? I think I'm going to pass out." Stefan said and Damon laughed.

"Light weight." Damon smirked.

"If he passes out, it doesn't bode well for me either." Ric said as he was leaning against Stefan and both Klaus and Damon laughed.

"Let's get you two ladies home." Damon smirked then hailed a cab.

* * *

><p>Caroline spent the rest of the evening with Bonnie and Seth and she noticed that the two of them kept eyeing each other up and was so happy about it. She was the type that over thought things and got carried away and she was picturing the future where they could go on double dates with her and Damon then they would get married and have kids just like her and Damon and their kids would grow up friends then marry each other... She had to stop. She laughed at herself and knew Damon would be amused by her thoughts when she told him.<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning, Ric was a little worse for wear so Stefan gave him some blood to take away his hangover. Damon didn't want to risk giving him his in case he accidentally died and came back as a hybrid. The four of them sat around the man cave the next morning.<p>

"You know, the Mrs had a good idea... we should go away for the week." Damon suggested. "Do something really random while she's gone."

"Like what?" Stefan asked.

"Like Oktoberfest random." Damon shrugged.

"I'm in." Ric nodded.

"Me too." Stefan replied.

"Don't be whipped, Nicky." Damon joked as he used Caroline's nickname for him.

"I'm in too; I just have to cancel my date with Zara for tomorrow." Klaus said.

"You do that." Damon smirked and Klaus left to go call her as he didn't want Damon teasing him while on the phone.

"Where are we going?" Ric asked.

"I think we should go to Ireland and just drink in the little village pubs for a week." Damon smirked. "They have all these drinking festivals at the end of October."

"Sounds good." Stefan grinned. He had so much fun with Damon in Germany and was absolutely up for it.

"I've never been to Ireland." Ric nodded.

"Let's see what his majesty says." Damon smirked and the two of them chuckled. Klaus came back a few minutes later. "Did you get permission?" He asked and Klaus chuckled.

"Shut up, Damon. She was great about it actually." He shrugged as he sat down.

"Good." Damon smirked.

"So where are we going?" Klaus asked.

"I suggested Ireland." Damon shrugged.

"Perfect." Klaus grinned. "When do we leave?"

"We could call the airport and get flights out this afternoon." Damon suggested.

"You do that and I'll make a few calls to make sure the surrogates are watched." Klaus said and Damon nodded.

* * *

><p>Caroline woke up mid morning, missing Damon's arms around her. She sighed and got up. Bonnie was awake already drinking a cup of coffee.<p>

"Morning." Caroline grinned at her best friend.

"Sleep well?" Bonnie asked and Caroline shrugged.

"It's better when there's a certain homicidal vampire next to me but what you going to do?" Caroline giggled and Bonnie smiled.

"He was so drunk last night." Bonnie laughed.

"He was." Caroline nodded. "But he sounded like he was having fun." She smiled. "I'll call him in a minute, but first... What did you think of Seth?" She smirked and Bonnie blushed involuntarily. "You liked him!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Yeah, I liked him." Bonnie replied, knowing that Caroline knew her well enough to know when she was lying.

"I told you that you would." Caroline grinned.

"It kind of worries me actually; he's really similar to Damon." She said and Caroline laughed.

"If Damon was sweet and nice." Caroline added and Bonnie laughed. "Well, if Damon was sweet and nice to anyone but me."

"True." Bonnie nodded.

"I can tell he liked you too. This is so exciting!" Caroline said and Bonnie shot her a look.

"You're totally planning our wedding right now in your head, aren't you?" Bonnie asked and Caroline laughed. Bonnie knew her so well.

"I did that last night." Caroline admitted and Bonnie shook her head.

"I'm glad you're still the same Caroline as you were before you turned." Bonnie pointed out and Caroline thought it was an odd thing to say.

"I still feel the exact same and now that I'm not a new vamp in my 'age' as Nicky puts it, I feel more myself than ever. It was hard at first but I think if I'd had Klaus' blood right from the start, it wouldn't have been hard at all." She shrugged. Bonnie knew that she didn't say that to convince her to turn, Caroline had no idea that Bonnie was even considering it.

"Is that what you guys will be doing with Ric and Seth?" Bonnie asked curiously and Caroline smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, they'll have it easy." Caroline giggled. "I'm going to call and see how the boys are doing." She smiled and got her phone. She dialled Damon's number and he picked up right away.

"_Hey, you just up?_" Damon asked and she smiled at the sound of his voice.

"Yeah, did you have fun last night?" Caroline smirked at the memory of his drunken confession.

"_Yeah, it was fun. Tell Judgy I'm sorry for going all emo on her._" Damon chuckled and Caroline grinned.

"I will." She nodded. "So what are you boys up to? Can you believe I actually miss all them too?" She asked and Damon chuckled. She could hear them in the background saying they missed her too.

"_You're just used to always having them around. We're actually... We just arrived in Ireland._" Damon said and Caroline laughed.

"What the hell are you doing in Ireland?" Caroline asked and Bonnie laughed in disbelief. Damon was so random.

"_Taking your advice on the boy's vacation._" Damon replied and Caroline smiled.

"The surrogates being watched?" She asked.

"_Yeah, the king took care of it before we left._" Damon replied and Caroline laughed. Damon called Klaus the king and his majesty because Klaus had a bit of a superiority complex when it came to other vampires and it amused Damon to no end. Klaus wasn't like that with them, though.

"What are you all going to do in Ireland anyway?" She asked curiously.

"_We're in a bar._" Damon replied and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"You're in Ireland and you're sitting in a bar." She said and Bonnie laughed. Of course Damon was in a bar.

"_Not just a bar, my dear. Irish pubs are the best bars in the world._" Damon replied and Caroline laughed.

"And why is that?"

"_You wouldn't understand unless you'd been in one. The people are amazing. They banter all the time and tell hysterical stories and I swear... I could live in an Irish pub._" Damon replied and Caroline giggled.

"Of course you could." She replied. "Guess what?" She asked and eyed Bonnie.

"_You bought really sexy underwear to wear for me?_" Damon asked hopefully and Caroline could hear the other boys laughing in the background and she rolled his eyes.

"No, but I will." She smirked. "Bonnie likes Seth!" Caroline exclaimed and Bonnie hid her face in her hands as Damon chuckled.

"_Of course she does! Seth is fucking awesome!_" Damon replied. Caroline could hear the boys in the background saying they needed to meet this guy and she laughed.

"He is." Caroline agreed. "Anyway, I'll let you go. Call me later?" She asked him.

"_I will. Tell Sabrina that the Captain is a good guy. She could do a hell of a lot worse._" Damon said and Caroline smiled.

"I will. Ti amo." She smiled. She was learning Italian secretly to surprise Damon, but that wouldn't give it away.

"_Ti amo anche io._" Damon replied and she grinned. _(I love you too)_

"Mi manchi moltissimo." She said and Damon chuckled. _(I miss you a lot)_

"_Where did you learn that?_" Damon asked surprised.

"Around." She replied and she could just tell he was cocking an eyebrow.

"_Mi manchi troppo il mio tesoro._" Damon replied. She gathered he was curious as to how much she understood and she did understand that. She'd been learning secretly for months and was getting quite good. She didn't see the point in hiding it anymore. _(I miss you too my darling)_

"Stavo per sorprendervi, ma sono stato imparare l'italiano. Volevo essere in grado diparlare a voi nella vostra lingua. Sorpresa!" She said. _(I was going to surprise you, but I have been learning Italian. I wanted to be able to speak to you in your native language. Surprise!)_

Damon suddenly went quiet. She could hear the background noise in the bar quieting too until it was completely gone. She was a little confused as he hadn't said anything.

"_You've been learning Italian for me?_" Damon asked her and she could hear that it had him a little emotional. She realised then that he probably left the bar to speak to her so he wouldn't get all mushy around the guys and she smiled.

"Tu sei l'amore della mia vita e ho voluto mostrare che. Speravo che avremmo potutoinsegnare ai nostri figli insieme." She smiled. _(You are the love of my life and I wanted to show you that. I was hoping we could teach our children together.)_ She heard Damon sniff a little.

"_I think that has to be the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me. You have no idea how much that means to me._" Damon said to her a little unevenly and she couldn't help the little sad smile on her face. It made her sad how badly he'd been treated all of his life and knew that she had been one of those people.

"I love you." She said softly.

"_I adore you, Caroline._" Damon said to her. She could hear all of the love he had for her poured out into what he said and she felt a little emotional herself.

"I wish you were here." She replied softly.

"_I can be there in a few hours if you want me there._" He said to her and she was surprised at just how much he meant it.

"You'll get teased mercilessly if you just up and leave the boys." She giggled.

"_I don't care, I can kick all of their asses._" He replied and she laughed.

"True." She replied.

"_You want me to come?_" He asked her softly and she wanted to scream 'yes'. She knew she only had to say the word and he'd be there...

"Yes." She said with a smile.

"_I'll call you when I get there._" He replied and she grinned widely.

"Tell me what flight you're on and I'll meet you at the airport." She said.

"_I will. See you soon._" He replied and she smiled.

"Bye, babe." She said and hung up.

"He's coming?" Bonnie laughed.

"Yeah." Caroline said softly. "He's coming." She smiled. Bonnie could see the pure joy on Caroline's face. He'd gone to Ireland for a boy's vacation and just dropped everything to go to her. Bonnie had to admit that she kind of wanted to swoon at how romantic it was.

"I think I'm a little bit in love with Damon right now." Bonnie joked and Caroline laughed.

"I feel like I'm going to faint from the sweetness of what he's doing." Caroline grinned.

"How is this going to work with Tyler being around?" Bonnie asked and Caroline smiled.

"Couldn't care less. Right now, how I'm feeling, Tyler could go stake himself and I wouldn't care... My Damon will be here soon." She grinned.

* * *

><p>Stefan, Ric and Klaus were sitting in the pub waiting for Damon to return. He'd been gone for over twenty minutes.<p>

"Think he's still talking to her?" Klaus asked curiously.

"You heard what she did, Klaus." Stefan replied. "Damon's kind of sensitive when it comes to stuff like that. He's probably off getting control over himself so he doesn't cry." Stefan smirked.

"It was really sweet of her to do that." Ric nodded.

"They might have their problems, but I don't doubt that Caroline is head over heels in love with Damon." Klaus shrugged.

"Neither do I." Stefan smiled softly. "Not now, anyway. I wasn't sure about her going to New York but now I'm convinced." Stefan said.

"I'm jealous. I want to find a girl like that." Ric chuckled and Stefan smiled at him.

"Me too." He replied then his phone buzzed with a text. He read it and laughed out loud hysterically.

"What?" Klaus laughed.

"You aren't going to believe this." Stefan said as he showed them Damon's text.

_Off to New York to see my wife! I know I'm whipped and honestly, I don't give a fuck ;) Have fun!_

Ric and Klaus burst out laughing.

"And he had the cheek to say I needed Zara's permission to come here." Klaus shook his head as he chuckled. "His suitcase is still here." Klaus laughed.

"You'll be next." Ric smirked and Klaus smiled.

"I haven't even told her what I am yet." Klaus said.

"Are you going to?" Stefan asked.

"After the babies are born, if we're still together." Klaus nodded.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Bonnie went to Tyler's hotel room. Caroline had convinced Bonnie to go with her in the hopes they could work things out. She brought him another vial of Damon's blood and a couple of blood bags. When she went to see Tyler when she got there the day before, she noticed that she kept seeing the same guy over and over on her way there then on her way back to Bonnie's. She saw him again when they were headed to Tyler's hotel and the guy gave her the creeps. Was he following her? She pointed it out to Bonnie and Bonnie promised to keep an eye out. They were in Tyler's room and Caroline kept checking the time on her phone. Damon's flight was arriving just after 7pm. Only a few hours to go! She was grinning like an idiot and the time could just not pass quickly enough.<p>

"What are you so happy about?" Tyler asked curiously.

"Damon's coming." She grinned at him and his eyes widened.

"Oh, god. He's not going to kill me, is he?" Tyler asked and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I think he'll be too preoccupied with Caroline to register that you're here." Bonnie chuckled.

"But he knows that Caroline has come to see me." Tyler replied.

"He does." Caroline nodded. "But if he was planning on killing you, he would have done it already." She shrugged.

"Is that supposed to be comforting?" Tyler asked and Bonnie smirked.

"Where Damon is concerned, yes. If he wanted you dead, you'd be dead." Bonnie replied and Tyler nodded.

* * *

><p>Caroline, Bonnie and Seth stood in JFK airport waiting for Damon to come through to the arrivals lounge and the flight had just landed.<p>

"My stomach's all in butterflies." Caroline said and Seth laughed.

"I can't believe he skipped out on a boy's week to see his wife." Seth chuckled. "I'm going to torture him for this one."

"Don't ruin this movie moment for me." Caroline warned and Seth chuckled.

"I won't." He said softly. "I'll start the torture tomorrow." He winked at her. Just then Damon came out in true Damon fashion, looking like a rock star. He was wearing his regular black jeans, boots, black t-shirt, leather jacket, sunglasses and a smirk. He must have compelled his way through to get to her quicker. They noticed that he didn't even have any luggage and he smiled widely at Caroline when he saw her. Bonnie noticed that Damon hadn't even looked at her and Seth... He could only see Caroline. Caroline ran over to him and jumped up and he caught her and spun her around, her legs wrapped around his waist as he kissed her. Bonnie felt tears spring to her eyes at just how beautiful the moment was for them. She also noticed that everyone in the arrivals lounge was smiling at them, obviously understanding. Then Bonnie saw Damon unhook one of her legs and move her so that he was carrying her bridal style while she giggled then the two of them disappeared down a corridor and she heard Seth chuckle.

"Where are they going?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Supply closet." He laughed and Bonnie understood and giggled. "Want to go get some coffee while we wait?" He asked her and she smiled at him.

"Sure." She nodded and the two of them walked over to the cafe.

* * *

><p>Damon and Caroline came out of the corridor where the supply closet was – they knew from when they were in New York the last time – hand in hand and went to the cafe where they saw Bonnie and Seth talking and laughing over coffee. Damon had taken his sunglasses off and they were hanging from the v neck of his t-shirt.<p>

"Captain America." Damon smirked and Seth laughed and stood up and they hugged.

"You have fun?" Seth asked and Damon grinned cheekily.

"Bonnie." Damon smiled at her and was surprised when she stood up and hugged him. "Since when do you hug me?" Damon asked amused and Caroline giggled.

"She's a little bit in love with you since you decided to be all romantic and came to see me." Caroline smiled up at him and Damon chuckled. Bonnie blushed madly at that.

"Can you keep nothing a secret?" Bonnie asked in disbelief. Damon slung an arm over her shoulder in amusement.

"Don't worry. I have that effect on women." He smirked at her and Seth laughed. "You'll hate me again in no time. Promise." He said and she chuckled.

"Your giant ego just reminded me of that." Bonnie pointed out and they all laughed.

"See?" Damon asked. "No problem." He smirked and took his arm back. "Are the humans hungry?" He asked and Seth and Bonnie rolled their eyes.

"Starved. You're buying Dart Man." Seth said and Damon smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>So let me know what you think :) I couldn't separate them for long lol<strong>

**I had a few people say they were hoping for Bonnie/Stefan instead of Bonnie/Seth.**

**I don't mind either way so people tell me what you want! :D**

**Also - give me ideas for The Missing Scenes. What scenes from the first story did you wish I'd written? Let me know please?**


	9. Salvatore VS Lockwood

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

The readers have spoken, Bonnie/Seth it is ;)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 9

* * *

><p>The four of them sat in Seth's favourite restaurant in Brooklyn. Damon sat next to Caroline obviously and had his arm around her. He couldn't stop looking at her. The moment he found out she'd been learning Italian for him, he forgot everything else in the world and there was only her.<p>

"Dude, you married her already. Stop making googly eyes at her." Seth laughed and Damon smirked.

"I can't." Damon shrugged. "You're just going to have to deal with it." He winked at Seth and Bonnie laughed. Caroline leaned forward and kissed him for like the thousandth time already.

"Want us to go?" Seth laughed.

"No, no." Caroline said as she pulled away. "We'll behave." She grinned and Damon looked at her like she was crazy.

"Speak for yourself, Barbie." Damon smirked and she giggled.

"Can you even call her Barbie anymore? Since she has red hair?" Bonnie asked amused.

"I'm sure there is a redhead Barbie." Damon shrugged.

"What is it with you and nicknames?" Bonnie laughed.

"I've always done it." Damon said. "When Stef and I were human, his nicknames came from the silly things he did." Damon smirked.

"Like what?" Caroline asked him and Damon grinned.

"He did so many things to embarrass himself." Damon replied then told them the long john story and the frog story. They were in fits of laughter. "Then there was one time we were in church and our father forced us to join the choir." Damon chuckled. "I was twelve and Stef was nine and he decided to look under a girl's skirt." Damon laughed. "He crouched down on the floor then the women moved around a little and he went under the wrong dress and it turned out to be the minister's wife." Damon laughed loudly. "She stopped the song in the middle and everyone was staring at him as she yelled at him."

"What did he say?" Bonnie laughed.

"He told her he dropped a penny and went looking for it." Damon replied and they all burst into hysterics. "He'll kill me when he finds out I told you about that."

"It's weird hearing about when you were human." Bonnie said.

"It's weird thinking about being human." Damon agreed. "It was so long ago." He smiled sadly.

"Do you regret it?" Seth asked him and Damon shook his head.

"No. I would never have met this one." Damon looked at Caroline. "It was worth the wait." He said.

"Sap." Seth smiled. Damon could tell that he kind of liked all the romance but wouldn't admit it, just like him.

"True." Damon smirked. "But I'm allowed to be. I'm the second most dangerous thing on this planet." He chuckled and Seth rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah." Seth waved his concern away. "You're a scary dude." Seth chuckled. "You need to show me the wolf thing." He smirked and both girls looked stunned.

"You told Seth?" Caroline asked surprised.

"I think the modern day term is 'duh'." Damon smirked and they laughed.

"Was he not supposed to?" Seth asked curiously.

"I'm just surprised." Caroline shrugged. "Speaking of wolf..." Caroline turned to look at Damon nervously.

"I'm not going to kill Lockwood." Damon rolled his eyes. "And he isn't a wolf anymore." Damon pointed out.

"I still have to train him though." Caroline said quietly.

"I know." Damon smiled at her. "I'll bug Judgy while you're doing that." Damon smirked and Bonnie laughed.

"Can't wait." Bonnie quipped and Damon grinned at her. They finished up dinner and were going to Bonnie's apartment for a few drinks. Seth was coming too since he and Bonnie clearly liked each other, though neither said anything. Damon walked them to the building then left them to go buy booze. The three of them went up in the elevator and when they came to the apartment door, they noticed it was opened. Bonnie and Seth looked at Caroline with wide eyes and Caroline listened. She could hear two people inside. They went inside and saw the two masked men. Caroline wasn't sure she could protect Bonnie and Seth and take out the guys at the same time.

_Damon?_ She called though her mind.

_What's up?_ He replied instantly.

_There are two masked guys in the apartment._ She replied.

_I'll be right there._ He said and she could tell he was pissed. _You need to get Judgy to invite me in._

"You'll need to invite him in." Caroline whispered and Bonnie nodded. Damon appeared up the steps a moment later.

"Come in, Damon." Bonnie whispered and Damon went inside as arrogantly as ever. He walked forward and blocked Caroline, who was standing in front of Bonnie and Seth.

"What do we have here?" Damon smirked. Caroline, Bonnie and Seth stood behind him and watched. The two men pulled out guns and Damon laughed.

"I'll kill you, asshole." One guy said as Damon sauntered over to him.

"Give it a try." Damon cocked an eyebrow. "It'll make my ripping you apart self defence instead of murder." He smirked. The guy shot him in the chest and he didn't even flinch. He looked down at the bloodied wound and sighed. "I liked this shirt." Damon said calmly and both Bonnie and Seth stared wide eyed. Bonnie knew Damon in this mood. The other guy shot him in the shoulder and Damon just chuckled. The robbers stared at him.

"What the fuck?" The first guy said when they saw the bullets push their way out. He stupidly turned the gun on the three at the door and Damon snapped. He raced forward and snapped his neck and tossed his body aside then moved in front of the other one.

"Are you going to be as stupid as your friend and turn that on my wife?" Damon asked him as his true face came out and the guy started to cry. Damon pulled his mask off and grabbed his chin. "Forget you were here and saw us tonight. Pick up the guy with the broken neck and take him down to the street. He fell down the stairs and you are going to call 911. Don't rob anyone's house again, got it?" Damon compelled.

"Got it." The guy said back in a dazed voice. Damon let him go and he picked up the dead guy and left the apartment. Seth closed the door behind the robber.

"The lock's broken." Seth said.

"I'll get it fixed in the morning." Damon shrugged and allowed his face to return to normal.

"Did you have to kill him?" Bonnie asked shakily.

"Where he shot me would kill you and Seth instantly." Damon replied. "It was either you two or him and I chose you two." Damon shrugged. "Besides, I left the other one alive." He pointed out. Caroline went up to him and hugged him.

"Did it hurt?" She asked him and he chuckled.

"No." He smiled at her. "I loved this jacket though." Damon said as he looked at the bullet hole.

"Can't you just buy another one?" She asked and Damon chuckled.

"No, I bought it in the 50s." Damon replied.

"You are one scary dude." Seth said and Damon turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry you saw that." Damon said softly. "But I couldn't risk it. I'm not Superman; I'm not faster than a bullet." Damon said and Seth nodded.

"Thanks for looking out for us." Seth said surprising Damon.

"Always." Damon nodded. "Barbie, watch the door, I'll go get the booze." Damon said and Caroline nodded, then he was gone. Bonnie slumped down on the couch.

"I don't agree with him killing that guy but could you imagine how scary that would have been if I came in by myself?" Bonnie asked shakily.

"New York isn't the safest place to live." Seth nodded.

"Well, we're here all week then you're coming to Amsterdam." Caroline smiled.

"What about after that?" Bonnie asked as tears formed in her eyes. Caroline sat next to her and hugged her.

"You could always transfer to a college in Amsterdam. We would protect you." Caroline said.

"Are you serious?" Bonnie asked surprised.

"Yeah. We're staying there for the foreseeable future." Caroline nodded. "I can compel you a spot at any college you want, though with your grades I probably wouldn't need to." She smiled.

"Can I do that?" Seth asked curiously. "Because college was something I did want to finish." He nodded.

"Sure." Caroline smiled.

"Where would I live?" Bonnie asked cautiously.

"With Damon and I." Caroline said. "We have a big house and I'm getting extra rooms built on to it, too." She smiled. "I know you don't want to be a vampire but you wouldn't have to be. We would all protect you. And it means Viktor can have his Godmother around while he grows up." Caroline smiled and Bonnie felt her heart melt a little. "Or if you don't want to live in the same house as us, our properties have acres of land and we could get another house built if you want some privacy." Caroline smiled. "Anything is possible." She encouraged.

"Caroline, be honest with me." Bonnie said. "Are humans marched in and out and bled dry, is there death surrounding you guys all the time?" She asked and Caroline shook her head no.

"There is no fresh feeding at the houses at all. We all drink from blood bags and if anyone wants to feed fresh, they go into the city to do it. It hasn't happened, but if a bunch of vampires showed up trying to kill us all, Damon and Nicky would take them all out, so you just have to accept that. They will all do anything to protect us. But it also means you will be incredibly safe. We haven't had any problems at all in Amsterdam. The only problem we had was Katherine but Damon killed her, as you know." Caroline nodded. "You'll probably be shocked at just how normal our lives are there." She said.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, the boys often sit around having a drink while I watch TV or go shopping, though usually one of them comes with me." Caroline smiled. "Or Nicky's out on a date with Zara or me with Damon, Stefan and Ric go clubbing or we all go down to the village bar for a drink together or Damon and I cook and have everyone over. Or we train and learn at Klaus' library, which you would love. Occasionally, Ric and Damon go into the city and bring back pot brownies and the two of them sit giggling like little girls." Caroline laughed. "Our lives are more normal there than they ever were in Mystic Falls." Caroline giggled.

"It sounds kind of nice." Bonnie smiled.

"It is. There's so much to do in Amsterdam and the surrounding cities too. Not only that but if you ever want to go somewhere like Germany or Belgium or wherever, just say the word and we're there." Caroline smiled. "It's ultimate freedom. And the shopping is great." She grinned.

"I'm sold." Seth smirked and Caroline laughed.

"When are you going to join us?" Caroline asked. "You said you were going to turn but you never said when." She pointed out.

"Well, I was thinking at the end of the college year, but if you can get me transferred over, I'll just move over when we go over for Damon's birthday." Seth shrugged and Caroline nodded.

"Seth?" Caroline asked curiously and he looked at her. "Are you okay? You've never seen Damon like that before... Are you creeped out?" She asked and he sighed. "You're not afraid of him, right? He would never hurt you." She said.

"I'm not scared of him and I never will be. It's just kind of weird to see the guy that is totally whipped by his wife, who can't play darts, the guy who calls me Captain America... be so unbelievably lethal." Seth admitted and Caroline nodded.

"Damon's two people." Caroline replied softly. "The guy who loves his friends and family; who's funny and inappropriate and egotistical and a total jackass." She smiled. "Then there's the guy who is probably the most dangerous thing that's ever walked the planet. He says he's the second most dangerous thing but he's not. Nicky doesn't snap like Damon does. But that dangerous guy, he only comes out when someone he cares about it threatened. Damon doesn't have much regard for his own life, but my life, your life, Bonnie's life and everyone back home in Amsterdam... He would choose you all over anyone else. That might be tough to swallow but you'll never have a better friend or someone that will have your back the way he does." Caroline said.

"I know." Seth nodded.

"You described him really well." Bonnie chuckled.

"I pity the person that gets on his bad side." Seth chuckled.

"Speaking of his bad side, did you notice that guy in the restaurant earlier? The one that's been following you?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah." Caroline nodded.

"Why didn't you say anything to Damon?" Bonnie asked.

"Because he would go nuts at the thought someone was following me." Caroline said.

"Someone is following you?" Damon asked angrily when he walked into the apartment.

"Crap." Caroline sighed.

"Since when?" Damon asked. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Since I got to New York. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to get mad." Caroline said.

"What does he look like?" Damon asked calmly. He knew exactly what everyone in the restaurant looked like earlier. He always remembered faces for security reasons.

"Do you remember the guy with the red shirt?" Caroline asked and Damon deadpanned.

"I do." Damon nodded. He set down the bags of booze then walked out the door again and Caroline sighed.

"Oh, dear." Caroline huffed.

* * *

><p>Damon was furious. If someone had been following her since she got there and hadn't done anything it could only be one thing. He got his phone out and dialled Klaus' number.<p>

"_Damon?_" Klaus answered. He was obviously asleep when Damon called.

"You had her followed?" Damon yelled down the phone.

"_Shit._" Klaus said.

"Didn't I specifically say no to that?" Damon asked angrily.

"_It's not what you think. I just wanted to make sure she'd be safe there like she is at home. She's followed in Amsterdam too._" Klaus said surprising Damon.

"Since when?" Damon asked.

"_Since she got there. Being in my company puts her at risk. I had to take precautions to make sure she would be safe. The vampire that's been following her isn't reporting back what she does; he's only making sure nobody attacks her._" Klaus said and Damon's anger deflated.

"Well you can call him off. I'll protect her." Damon said and hung up. He was really angry at that but couldn't fault Klaus for wanting her protected. Damon reluctantly went back up to the apartment. He would have to explain this to her. He walked back in the door and Caroline eyed him curiously.

"What happened?" She asked as he had only been gone for a couple of minutes.

"We need to talk, Caroline." Damon said seriously and she blinked in surprise.

"About?" She asked.

"You want to talk in private?" He asked her.

"You can say what you want to in front of them." She said nervously.

"The vampire that was following you is one of Klaus'." Damon said and she gaped at him then her expression turned angry.

"Was that your idea?" She asked him annoyed.

"No. Klaus mentioned it after you left and I told him that you were not to be followed but he did it anyway." Damon said.

"Why? Because of Tyler?" She asked. Damon could tell she was hurt.

"I just called him to yell at him for it and he said it was for your security... Apparently, you're followed in Amsterdam too." He said to her and her eyes widened.

"Why?" She asked confused.

"He said that because of who he is and who you are, he has you followed because he can't risk your safety." Damon said.

"So what? They just report everything I do back to him?" She asked in disbelief.

"He said they don't. They just watch to make sure you aren't attacked." Damon said.

"Did you know about this?"

"If I'd known about it, I would have told you. Obviously, I'm not followed since what's a regular vampire going to be able to do to me?" He asked. "I suppose being the Queen has a lot to do with it too. There are likely many vampires who would want to take advantage of that." Damon said and Caroline nodded.

"I don't know how I feel about this." She said softly.

"Well, I'm pissed." Damon said. "He should have told us."

"Don't be too mad at him, Damon. Nicky wouldn't do anything to hurt us or deceive us. He probably just didn't want to tell you that my life could be threatened because you would just go kill every vampire in the world." She chuckled and he smirked at her.

"Do you want me to go take out the guy that's been following you?" Damon asked her seriously and she laughed.

"Damon, if you keep taking out Nicky's vamps, nobody will work for him anymore." She warned.

"They were different. They were hitting on you constantly." Damon pointed out and Seth laughed.

"I'll make sure to never tell her that she looks nice in anything." Seth joked and Damon smirked at him.

"Don't be ridiculous." Damon said. "Honestly, it was just an excuse. I hated those two vampires anyway." He shrugged. "You're not going all weird on me because I snapped someone's neck, are you?" Damon asked and Seth shook his head no.

"Damon, you make it sound like you just slapped someone. You ended someone's life." Bonnie pointed out.

"I'm too sober for this conversation." Damon muttered and got his bottle of bourbon from the bag, opened it, drank half of it in one gulp then turned back to Bonnie. "Go ahead. Lecture away." Damon quipped and Seth laughed.

"You could have just compelled him to leave." Bonnie said softly.

"He shot me." Damon pointed out.

"It wouldn't have done anything to you." She reminded him and he rolled his eyes.

"Would you rather have been shot instead?" Damon asked annoyed. "If I hadn't stopped him, he could have killed one of you. He's lucky he only shot me, if he'd shot Caroline..." Damon shook his head. "He'd be in pieces in a dumpster right now." Damon said darkly.

"So you really don't think you did anything wrong?" Bonnie asked him.

"I know you're a Judgy little witch but surely you see my point here?" Damon asked her and Seth's eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Witch?" Seth asked and Damon shook his head.

"Figure of speech." Damon replied surprising Bonnie.

"Do you feel any remorse at all?" Bonnie asked him softly and he sighed.

"Do you really want an answer to that? Will it change anything?" Damon asked.

"Yes, I really want an answer to that." Bonnie replied.

"No. No remorse. No guilt. I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Damon answered her. "That guy's life is of no consequence to me and after today I'll never think of him ever again." Damon replied and Bonnie gaped at him.

"Why?" She asked him in a small voice.

"Replay the scenario in your head." Damon said to her. "If I was the first he'd shot, his hand would have been shaky, his heart would have beat faster he would have talked a lot more. But no, he pulled it out smoothly, aimed and fired. He shot to kill, not injure. He's probably killed plenty of people. He was no innocent so why should I feel remorse?" Damon asked her and Bonnie blinked in surprise. She didn't know Damon would even think of things like that.

"Alright, I'll drop it." She agreed and he smirked at her.

"Need a drink?" He asked her and she laughed.

"Do I ever." She nodded and he smiled at her. He went into the kitchen and got glasses out.

"What do you want my sweet?" Damon asked.

"Cosmo, please." Caroline smiled at him.

"Judgy?"

"Same, please." She answered.

"Captain?"

"Whisky's fine for me, thanks." Seth replied. They watched as Damon used his vampire speed to whirl around the kitchen and he came out with the cocktails for Caroline and Bonnie seconds later and handed them over then gave Seth his drink and sat down next to Caroline on the couch. "Man that was fast." Seth chuckled.

"Said the Nun to the Priest." Damon smirked and all three of them laughed. Damon got out his phone and sent a quick text to Seth; though neither of the girls knew it... then there was a knock at the door. "That better not be that stupid robber guy." Damon rolled his eyes and stood up, but he knew who it was... He felt him coming after all. He walked over to the door and opened it. "And the night gets better." Damon said dryly.

"Damon." Tyler gasped with wide eyes.

"Lockwood." Damon said calmly. Caroline rested her forehead in the palm of her hand. Damon told her that if he ever saw Tyler again, he would kill him. Everyone knew that. Seth just looked amused, much to Caroline's confusion.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked him urgently as she raced over to the door. Damon's face was a mask of indifference so nobody could tell what he was thinking.

"I came to find out when Damon was showing up but I guess he's here, obviously." Tyler said nervously. Seth could tell that Tyler was terrified of Damon.

"Why?" Bonnie asked in disbelief.

"I... wanted to talk to him." Tyler said and Caroline laughed.

"Oh my god. This is just perfect." She said sarcastically. Damon stood staring at Tyler then shrugged.

"Invite him in." Damon said surprising all of them. "Want a drink, Lockwood?" He asked as he walked away from the door. They all gaped at him, except Seth.

"Uh... okay." Tyler said, unsure of what else to say.

"Come in then." Bonnie added hesitantly. Tyler walked in the door.

"What do you want?" Damon asked motioning to the booze.

"A beer would be great." Tyler replied awkwardly. Damon picked up a beer, popped the lid off then handed it to Tyler. He walked back over to the couch and plopped down next to Bonnie, leaving the only available seat left, next to Caroline so Tyler would have to sit there. Bonnie looked at him curiously. "Thanks." Tyler said.

"Are you going to stand over there all night or sit down?" Damon asked amused. Making Tyler as uncomfortable as possible was far more amusing to Damon than just killing him.

"Uh... yeah, sure." Tyler said then sat down next to Caroline. Seth was just as amused by it all as Damon and he seemed to be the only one that understood what Damon was doing.

"Since Damon's being rude, I'm Seth." Seth said to Tyler and Damon smirked at him.

"Hi. Tyler." Tyler said awkwardly and Seth smirked back at Damon from the other side of Bonnie.

"Well this is awkward." Caroline said after a moment and both Damon and Seth laughed causing the other three to look at them funny.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Damon cocked his head.

"I wanted to thank you for the blood. I'm not feeling the urges I did before." Tyler said and Damon nodded.

"You're welcome." Damon smirked and Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. He was up to something.

"What are you doing?" Caroline asked Damon and he laughed.

"I'm sitting enjoying my drink, minding my own business." Damon replied amused and Seth bit his lip to stop from laughing.

"Is that a bullet wound?" Tyler asked pointing to Damon's chest and Damon shrugged.

"Robber." Damon replied.

"The apartment was getting robbed when we came back from dinner." Caroline explained to Tyler.

"They shot you?" Tyler asked in disbelief.

"Better me than the humans." Damon shrugged.

"Are they alive?" Tyler asked sceptically.

"One of them is." Seth smirked. Tyler gulped a little and Seth and Damon glanced at each other amused. Tyler was obviously sitting there expecting an attack of some kind. They sat in silence for a few minutes and Tyler seemed to be getting more and more nervous and Damon and Seth were getting more and more amused.

"Okay." Tyler stood up. "I can't take it anymore. Are you going to kill me or not?" He shrieked and both Seth and Damon burst into hysterics as Caroline and Bonnie glared at them.

"Sit your ass down." Damon chuckled and Tyler sat. "Don't you think it would be a little hypocritical to kill you?" Damon asked and Tyler looked confused.

"I'm not sure I follow." Tyler said cautiously. Damon considered telling Tyler that he'd had sex with Carol Lockwood but wasn't sure how Caroline would react to that so he didn't bother.

"I can't exactly blame you for being in love with Barbie, I mean look at her." Damon smirked.

"You are one confusing guy." Tyler said and Seth laughed.

"He's over it dude, you should be too." Seth said to him and Caroline and Bonnie gaped at Seth. How did he know so much?

"Just relax." Damon rolled his eyes. "If I wanted you dead, you would be dead." Damon said.

"Stefan said you would kill me if you ever saw me again." Tyler said cautiously and Damon smirked.

"So did you want to die? Is that why you showed up tonight?" Damon cocked his head to the side as he eyed him up and Tyler shook his head nervously.

"No, I don't." Tyler replied.

"So you don't want to die, I'm not going to kill you yet so what are you so nervous about?" Damon asked curiously and Seth chuckled. Damon was so bad.

"Yet?" Tyler asked wide eyed.

"Another benefit of you having my blood, beside the fact that you get stronger and it's easier to control yourself..." Damon started.

"Is that he'll always be able to find you now." Seth said as he grinned and Damon smirked at Tyler while Caroline and Bonnie's jaws dropped.

"You didn't tell me that!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Klaus told you that before you had his." Damon pointed out and she slapped her hand to her forehead.

"I forgot." She said as Tyler just sat there unsure whether to run or cry.

"You knew he was at the door." Bonnie exclaimed and Damon smirked at her.

"Guilty." Damon quipped and Seth laughed. Damon saw Tyler was about to fall apart and he rolled his eyes. "Chill out, Lockwood. I'm just messing with you." Damon smirked.

"You aren't really going to kill me?" He asked in a shaky voice and Damon sighed.

"You're Barbie's friend despite your little make-out session with her, so no. I'm not going to kill you." Damon said and Caroline winced. Damon noticed how guilty she looked and he felt badly for bringing it up in front of her. He and Seth should have just ganged up on him when she wasn't there and he sighed. He turned to Seth and smirked. "Want to go play darts?" Damon asked and Seth laughed.

"You want your ass kicked again?" Seth asked amused and Damon chuckled.

"I've been practicing." Damon said as the two of them stood up.

"I doubt it will help." Seth replied pulling on his jacket. "Aren't you going to change your shirt?" Seth asked amused.

"I didn't bring any luggage." Damon chuckled and Seth rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, let's go." He said and walked out the door.

"I'll be back later." Damon said to Caroline who stared at him confused but she nodded anyway then Damon left, closing the door behind him. After a few seconds, Tyler sighed in relief.

"He has to be the scariest guy ever." Tyler said and Bonnie laughed. The whole interaction had just been surreal.

"He shouldn't have messed with your head like that." Caroline said annoyed.

"Caroline, you kissed each other. He was really hurt at the time and most guys would have knocked Tyler out for it. Damon probably wanted to kill him, but he didn't. You should be thankful he just messed with him a bit." Bonnie said.

"Yeah, but now he can always find me." Tyler said worriedly.

"He's Damon. If he wanted to, he'd find you anyway." Bonnie replied.

"Who's that Seth guy? He's creepy too." Tyler asked and Caroline laughed.

"He's not creepy. He's just really good friends with Damon. Closer than even I knew about, apparently." She shrugged.

* * *

><p>Damon and Seth were in a bar around the corner.<p>

"Thanks for having my back up there." Damon said to Seth sincerely.

"Anytime, dude." Seth smiled at him. "You're right though; he does look like a ferret." He chuckled as did Damon. "Was that tough, having him there?" Seth asked softly.

"For the first couple of seconds." Damon nodded. "But I can't deny that Barbie and I have a better relationship now than we did before all that happened. Things were slowly falling apart." Damon replied.

"Yeah, but there are better ways to deal with it than going and making out with ferret boy." Seth said sarcastically and Damon laughed.

"Very true." He grinned.

"Does he know you screwed his mom?" Seth smirked and Damon laughed.

"That's where I was going when I said it would be hypocritical to kill him but I figured Caroline would be annoyed." Damon replied back with a grin.

"Can I tell him the next time he's around? That guy's obviously fun to mess with." Seth laughed.

"As long as Barbie isn't there, go ahead." Damon smirked.

"Does Cookie have any idea how much we talk?" Seth asked curiously and Damon chuckled.

"Not at all." Damon replied. "You're the only one I've actually really talked to about all of this." He replied.

"Why?" Seth asked softly, though it meant a lot to him that Damon trusted him.

"The others are too close to Lockwood, you know? Ric was his teacher, Stefan played football with him at school whereas Klaus just wants to kill him. Not only that but Stefan and Barbie are best friends but Stefan takes my side. If I talk to him about it, he'll just be weird with her and I don't need her feeling worse about all of this than she already does." Damon explained and Seth nodded.

"Well, you can talk to me anytime man, you know that." Seth nodded. "You were there for me when my grandma was murdered and I'll never forget it." He said softly.

"The guy that did it will be taken care of." Damon said and Seth blinked in surprise.

"You're going to kill him?" Seth asked and Damon nodded.

"Martha was a nice old lady. She didn't deserve to be mugged like that and shot. That guy's going to pay for what he did." Damon said and Seth nodded.

"Thanks, Damon." Seth smiled softly. "Can I be there?" He asked.

"You want to be there?" Damon asked surprised.

"I want revenge, Damon. She practically raised me, since my parents had to work all the time." Seth said and Damon understood the need for revenge better than anyone. "She was the sweetest old lady; she would have given her last dime to a stranger if she thought it could help them." Seth explained sadly.

"You can be there." Damon nodded. "You can decide how the bastard dies." He replied.

"Thanks." Seth said.

"I noticed you eyeing up, Bonnie." Damon smirked and Seth laughed.

"Well, yeah. Have you seen her? She's gorgeous." Seth grinned.

"She is." Damon nodded. "Nice girl too." Damon replied. "A little too judgy for my own personal taste, but you're not a fiend from hell like me." Damon chuckled and Seth smirked.

"Not yet, but I will be." He said and Damon grinned.

"I can't wait for you to turn." Damon nodded.

"Me, neither. Did Cookie tell you I'm moving over next week?" Seth asked and Damon looked surprised.

"No. Fuck, that's awesome." Damon bumped his fist with Seth's.

"I know, right?" Seth asked and Damon chuckled.

"You sure about it, though? There might come a day where snapping someone's neck will mean nothing to you too... can you deal with that?" Damon asked and Seth sighed.

"I guess you get jaded after being alive for so long." Seth replied and Damon nodded. "I'm going to see a lot of twisted stuff if I turn, aren't I?" Seth asked.

"You might even end up doing a lot of twisted stuff." Damon nodded.

"I'll just have to deal with that when I get to it then." Seth replied and Damon smiled at him.

"We'll get you transferred over to a college in Amsterdam and you can have a while to think about it. You can change your mind, you know." Damon said. "Nobody is going to force it on you." Damon assured him.

"I know what I want, D." Seth smiled. "I'll turn with Ric so we can do the training together." He replied and Damon nodded.

"Whatever you want." Damon replied.


	10. Bonnie Knows Too Much

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 10

* * *

><p>"Does Cookie know that my grandma was murdered?" Seth asked as they walked back to the apartment.<p>

"No, I told her and everyone else the story your parents told people." Damon replied and Seth looked stunned. "You asked me to keep the truth to myself." Damon shrugged.

"Well, yeah. But you tell Cookie everything." Seth pointed out.

"I tell her everything to do with me; that is your secret to tell, not mine." Damon pointed out.

"Thanks, Damon." He smiled and Damon smirked at him.

"I told you that you could talk to me about anything and I'd keep it to myself." Damon nodded. "So you want to see me change into a wolf?" He said.

"Yeah, that'll be so cool man." He grinned.

"I haven't done it in a few days. I'm supposed to be doing it every day until I can do it in seconds." Damon complained. "I'm down to a minute and a half." He replied.

"The first time took an hour, right?" Seth asked and Damon nodded. "Does it hurt?" He asked.

"Like a motherfucker." Damon chuckled. "You'll understand why when you see it. Most of my bones break and reshape." He said and Seth grimaced.

"That sucks." He said. "But you're dealing with it better now, right? It doesn't bother you as much as before?" He asked as they walked in the lobby

"Now that the bloodlust is gone, it's easier." He nodded then the two of them stepped into the elevator. "What are you going to do about Judgy?" Damon smirked and Seth laughed.

"Think she liked me too?" He asked curiously.

"Barbie told me she does." He chuckled and Seth's eyes widened.

"Awesome. I'll ask her out for tomorrow then. Gives you and Cookie some time." He winked and Damon laughed.

"I love you, man." Damon patted his back and Seth chuckled.

"I can't wait to move to Amsterdam with you guys." He grinned. "I think it'll be a hell of a ride." He smirked and Damon chuckled.

"It so will." Damon nodded. They stepped out of the elevator and went into the apartment. Tyler was obviously gone since Caroline and Bonnie were sat watching a movie under a blanket. Caroline grinned at the sight of Damon. "Hey, beautiful." Damon smiled at her and she got up and kissed him. He dipped her dramatically like in the movies and kissed her back while Seth and Bonnie laughed. He let her stand up in a minute or two.

"Did you two have fun?" She asked and Seth laughed.

"He obviously lied when he said he'd been practicing." Seth smirked and Damon chuckled.

"I was going easy on you." Damon replied and Seth rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude." He said and Bonnie laughed. She was stunned that Seth got away with saying stuff like that to Damon of all people. "Anyway, I'm heading home. Bonnie?" He asked and she looked at him curiously. "I just came up to ask if you wanted to go out with me tomorrow night." He said and she blushed.

"Sure." She smiled and Caroline ruined the moment by squealing and clapping her hands.

"Finally!" Caroline exclaimed and Damon covered her mouth with his hands earning a laugh from Seth.

"I love you, my sweet... but shut up." Damon said and Bonnie laughed too.

"I'll pick you up at 7.30pm." Seth smiled at her.

"Great." She smiled back.

"Dart man." Seth walked up to Damon and hugged him. "Always a pleasure kicking your hybrid ass." He smirked and Damon chuckled.

"Whatever." He replied.

"I'll get you outside at 10am right?" Seth asked for confirmation.

"I'll be there." Damon nodded and Caroline looked at them sceptically.

"Cookie." Seth smiled as he hugged her.

"Bye, Seth." She grinned and he waved then left. She turned around to look at Damon. "Why are you meeting him at 10am?" She asked curiously and Damon chuckled.

"Nothing for you to worry about my beautiful goddess of a wife." He smirked.

"You always go over the top with the names when you're up to something." She pointed out and Bonnie laughed.

"Seth is helping me with something to surprise the love of my life." Damon replied with a smirk. He would have to now think of a surprise for her.

"Liar." She said and he laughed. How did she know?

"Trust me?" Damon asked her and she sighed in annoyance.

"Fine." She replied.

"When did Lockwood leave?" Damon asked curiously.

"You already know when he left since you can _sense him_!" She exclaimed and he rolled his eyes.

"I was busy drinking and letting Seth beat me at darts and I wasn't paying attention." He replied with a smirk.

"That's a likely story for someone who doesn't know you." Caroline said as she put her hands on her hips and Bonnie giggled.

"You two are like watching a soap opera." Bonnie pointed out and Damon smirked at her. He walked over and plopped down on the couch next to her and slung his arm around her as he ignored Caroline.

"What are you going to wear on your date?" He cocked an eyebrow mocking her and she wished she'd kept her mouth shut.

"Shut up." She giggled and he smirked.

"You like him, you want to kiss him, you want to date him, you want to marry him..." Damon sang and she concentrated all of her power to give him an aneurism and it didn't work. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She was a little frightened at the thought.

"Don't worry, I felt it." Damon smirked. "It's just different now." He shrugged. "I knew you were going to do it. As a hybrid I can switch pain off." Damon replied and her eyes bugged. "Crap, I was supposed to wolf out for the Captain." Damon mumbled.

"Speaking of Seth, when did you two get so close? When did you tell him about Tyler and you being a hybrid and apparently stuff I didn't even know about?" Caroline exclaimed as she sat across from them and Damon sighed and took his arm back from Bonnie.

"I'm sure you talk to Bonnie and Froggy about things you don't tell me." Damon replied.

"No, I don't." She replied.

"Caroline." He huffed.

"Damon." She replied sternly.

"Look, not to get all chick-like on you but I can't talk to you about you." Damon replied surprising her.

"Why do you need to talk about me?" She asked concerned.

"Seth is the reason I put the ring back on. I called him before I went to find you in the woods when Lockwood called." He replied and her jaw dropped. "He's the only person I could talk to about that." He admitted. "If I talk to Ric about it, he just tells me people make mistakes. We don't exactly sit and talk about what we think or feel about things. Klaus just thinks I should take him out so I don't have to worry. I can't talk to Stefan about it because you're his best friend." Damon confessed. He didn't care that Bonnie could hear what he was saying. Caroline was kind of gabby by nature so he was sure that she knew a lot of things that Caroline probably told her anyway.

"Why didn't you talk to me about it?" Caroline asked in a small voice.

"Because I didn't want you to feel worse than you already do about it." Damon replied and Bonnie was stunned. Caroline was the one that hurt Damon but he didn't want her to hurt over it... Caroline's face turned to one of complete guilt and Damon sighed. "That face." He pointed to her. "I didn't want to see that face again." He said and Bonnie blinked in surprise. She couldn't grasp the magnitude of how much Damon loved Caroline. "I trust you and I genuinely don't believe you would do anything again but if I have a moment of insecurity, I can call Seth and he talks me out of it." Damon added. "Just like he calls me if he needs to talk about certain things."

"You'll never know how sorry I am." Caroline replied and Damon could see the tears brimming in her eyes and he sighed.

"We're past it, my sweet." He said to her softly. "You don't have to get upset over it anymore." He said.

"I can't help it." She replied and the tears broke. Damon got up and went over to her and pulled her onto his lap and she leaned into his chest. He rested his chin on her head and softly stroked her hair. Bonnie couldn't believe that he was the one comforting her. Bonnie was still angry with Caroline for what she did as she'd seen a completely different side to Damon. He was so devoted to her that even in the wake of her betrayal and he switched his emotions off, he still couldn't bring himself to hurt her back. Bonnie would never forget that about him, nor would she forget the fact that he gave her the apartment or the money to go to college. "I don't want to lose you." She said in a whisper and Damon shook his head.

"Never going to happen." He replied and pulled her closer. "Since the Captain is taking Judgy out tomorrow, why don't I take you out on a date?" He asked her and she nodded into his chest. "I might even take you shopping tomorrow for a new dress." He smirked at Bonnie's shocked expression. "Would you like that?" He asked her and she looked up at him.

"You hate shopping." Caroline replied and he chuckled.

"But I love you." Damon replied and she slumped back down on top of him and wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you so much, Damon." She replied and he sighed.

"I know that." He rubbed her back. "Now stop being a buzz kill." He said to her and Bonnie laughed. Of course Damon would say that.

"Sorry." She said and Damon rolled her eyes.

"I'm willingly taking you shopping. You should be celebrating instead of being a weepy mess." He said to her and she giggled. He was so blunt. "Much better. Let me see that beautiful smile." He grinned at her and she reluctantly smiled for him. He wiped away her tears then smirked at her. "You're much sexier when you smile." He said and she laughed.

"Nobody looks good when they cry." She replied and he chuckled.

"You still look beautiful when you cry; I just don't know how to deal with weeping women." He said and both girls laughed. "Want some tea?" Damon asked her and she nodded. "Judgy?" He asked and Bonnie looked at him in disbelief.

"Thanks." She said with a smile. "I think I kind of love you again, Damon." Bonnie smirked and Damon chuckled as he stood up.

"I killed someone earlier." He reminded her and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"And it's gone. Thanks." She winked and he laughed then went into the kitchen. "By the way, when are you two getting married? Like the proper wedding?" She asked and Caroline shrugged.

"This might not sound like me, but with everything that's been happening I haven't had time to think about it." Caroline replied.

"Really?" Damon asked surprised. "I've thought about it a lot." Damon admitted shocking both girls.

"Damon, please. You're going to ruin the whole image I have of you." Bonnie laughed and Damon smirked at her.

"I killed a lot of people in Mystic Falls." Damon replied and Bonnie sighed. "More than even you know about." He said and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"How many more?" Bonnie cocked an eyebrow and he chuckled.

"I'll tell you next time you're in danger of liking me." He said and she could help laughing. She already liked him, much to her own surprise.

"What did you think about?" Caroline asked ignoring both of them.

"I thought we could do it on our anniversary." Damon shrugged. "That way Viktor can be there." Damon grinned widely and Caroline melted.

"You are just the sweetest thing." Caroline smiled at him. Damon laughed at that.

"Hardly." He said to her. "Really, it's just so I can take your garter off with my teeth." He smirked and both girls laughed. "It would probably be better for me if we didn't, considering how the hell can I choose a best man?" He asked in disbelief. "I have a brother and three best friends." He rolled his eyes. "Life was simpler when I just hated everyone." He huffed and the girls laughed.

"Well, if it helps, I want Stefan to stand up with me." Caroline shrugged and Damon buckled over in laughter.

"Please! Please, tell me you want him in a bridesmaids dress! That will make my year!" He laughed and the girls giggled.

"You're an ass." Caroline rolled her eyes and he blew a kiss to her.

"You knew that when you married me." He pointed out.

"And I'd still marry you again a hundred times over." She smiled at him and he felt his stomach flutter.

"You're a little sap, Barbie." He teased her but she could tell what she said got to him.

"True." She nodded. "But you would marry me again a hundred times over too." She smiled and he chuckled.

"I don't think I could fit a hundred rings on my fingers." He replied and she rolled her eyes.

"Wait, does that mean you're going to get me another engagement ring?" She grinned and Bonnie chuckled.

"You can have as many engagement rings as you want, my sweet." He said as he brought the tea over to the girls then sat down next to her. "I was planning to get you another one for Christmas anyway." He shrugged and she grinned at him.

"But the one you have is so beautiful." Bonnie replied.

"I have two." Caroline grinned and Bonnie gaped at her.

"You haven't been married for five months yet and you already have two rings?" She asked in disbelief.

"I buy her stuff when I screw up." Damon smirked and Bonnie laughed loudly.

"What's the second one like?" Bonnie asked curiously. Caroline zipped into her room and came back with a ring box and gave it to Bonnie. Bonnie opened it and gasped. "That is stunning!" She commented and Damon smirked. "What is the pink stone?" She asked curiously.

"Pink diamond." Damon shrugged.

"It's beautiful." She nodded then gave it back to Caroline and Caroline took it back to the room.

"I was thinking something rare next. Maybe red diamond? Or there are a multitude of coloured diamonds... She'll have them all soon enough." He smirked and Bonnie looked at him with that look again.

"Were you always like this deep down?" She asked him curiously and he chuckled.

"No." He shook his head. "This is all Barbie's fault." Damon smirked and she chuckled as Caroline came back.

"I don't believe that." Caroline said softly. "I think you were always a romantic deep down under the layers of blood and death." She giggled and sat back down next to him.

"Can I ask a hypothetical?" Bonnie asked curiously and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Okay." He shrugged.

"What would you do if Caroline died?" Bonnie asked and Damon's face grew fierce.

"Don't ever say that." Damon said.

"It was just a question, babe." Caroline took his hand.

"I have a plan for that in case it ever happens." Damon replied sombrely.

"A plan?" Caroline asked in disbelief.

"Well, I have a deal." Damon shrugged.

"With Nicky?" She asked surprised and Damon nodded.

"If anything ever happens to you he promised to kill me." Damon replied and Caroline and Bonnie gasped.

"What?" Caroline asked in disbelief. "He agreed to that?"

"It was the deal for me becoming a hybrid." Damon replied. "Since I can't just take my ring off in the sun anymore." He shrugged and Caroline's eyes widened.

"What about the kids?" She gasped.

"They'll have godparents." Damon shrugged and Caroline's eyes bugged.

"Damon, no. You can't do that." She pleaded.

"Caroline, he can't live without you." Bonnie said softly and Damon nodded in agreement.

"I can't live without you either." She said to him softly.

"I'm not as breakable as you are." Damon replied and she sighed.

"I'm the equivalent to a 400 year old vampire, Damon. I'm not easy to kill anymore." She replied.

"Can we not talk about this? I don't want to think about it." Damon said annoyed.

"We should talk about this." Caroline replied softly.

"Not today." Damon shook his head.

"Let's go to bed." Caroline suggested.

"I'm not sleeping in the bed Lockwood slept in." Damon said and she sighed.

"Please?" She asked him sweetly and he rolled his eyes.

"You better have changed the sheets." He mumbled and Bonnie chuckled.

"She has you wrapped around her finger." Bonnie pointed out.

"I know." Damon said annoyed then went into the bedroom.

"You're lucky, Care." Bonnie said to her friend.

"I don't think I'll ever deserve him." Caroline replied. "Night, Bon."

"Night." Bonnie smiled then Caroline followed Damon into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She jumped into the bed beside Damon and cuddled into his back.

"Thank god." Caroline said softly.

"For what?" Damon asked confused.

"That I get to go to sleep with you tonight." She replied softly and Damon turned around in bed to look at her and smiled.

"The house is so empty without you there." Damon replied and she smiled and kissed him.

"Just so you know, babe." She said softly. "If anything happened to you, I wouldn't be long behind." She replied and he blinked in surprise.

"Don't be silly." He said to her.

"I'm not. I need you. I would happily meet the sun rather than have to live for an eternity without you." She replied and he felt quite emotional at her words.

"Well, we don't have to think about that right now." He said. Even the mere thought of her dying made Damon want to sob his eyes out and the day had been emotional enough already.

"Thank you for coming to New York." She whispered and he smiled.

"Thank you for learning Italian for me." Damon replied just as quietly.

"Farei qualsiasi cosa per te, amore mio." She grinned and he crashed his lips to hers. _(I would do anything for you, my love.)_

"Do you have any idea how sexy that is?" He smirked at her.

"Well, Bonnie and Seth are going to be out tomorrow night, so instead of going out, why don't we stay in and I'll speak Italian to you?" She winked and he chuckled.

"Best wife ever." He said then kissed her.

* * *

><p>Damon woke up before Caroline and she looked so peaceful he didn't want to wake her. He crept out of the room and watched her from the doorway for a minute with a small smile on his face then closed the door and turned around to find Bonnie looking at him amused.<p>

"Busted." She smirked and he chuckled.

"She's my wife... I'm allowed to think she looks cute when she's sleeping." Damon smirked and Bonnie laughed quietly.

"Why did Seth ask me out?" She asked sceptically and Damon looked confused and sat across from her on the couch.

"He likes you and thinks you're beautiful." Damon shrugged. "Why?"

"He does?" She grinned and he chuckled.

"You are a beautiful girl, Bonnie." Damon replied and she blushed. "He's looking forward to your date." Damon added.

"How do you know?" Bonnie smiled.

"He text me." Damon shrugged. "Are you really coming to Amsterdam?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah. Caroline is going to compel me a transfer." She replied and Damon nodded.

"I can go down to your university today with Seth and get it started for you. I was going to do that with him anyway." Damon shrugged.

"That would be great, if you don't mind." Bonnie smiled.

"You have no idea how happy the wife is about you moving over." Damon smiled. "You are welcome to live with us, we have plenty of room. Caroline mentioned that you might not want to and that's fine too. I can arrange a safe place for you to live or if you want to be close to us, we can have something built for you. It's entirely up to you." Damon said and she smiled at the kindness he was capable of.

"Why don't we see how Klaus and I get along before we make any permanent decisions on that?" Bonnie asked and Damon chuckled.

"His majesty has promised not to attempt to kill you as long as you don't attempt to kill him." Damon smirked.

"His majesty?" Bonnie asked in disbelief and Damon laughed.

"Nickname." Damon shrugged. "He's been the strongest vampire in existence for 1000 years; it's gone to his head." Damon laughed. "Not around us but with regular vampires. I call him his majesty or the king to mock him." Damon said and Bonnie laughed.

"He doesn't get mad at you for that?" She asked.

"No. What can he do about it anyway?" Damon smirked. "He gets mad when I ogle his girlfriend though." Damon laughed and Bonnie's eyes widened.

"Caroline's right, you don't have any regard for your own life." Bonnie said sceptically and Damon rolled his eyes.

"He's not a threat to me." Damon shrugged. "I mock everyone, why would he be any different? I don't give a rat's ass who he is in the vampire world." Damon said.

"Caroline loves him." Bonnie said confused and Damon chuckled.

"That's because he's even more wrapped around her finger than I am." Damon smirked. "He adores her. That's how I know you'll be perfectly safe with him. He's not afraid of me." Damon chuckled. "He's afraid of Caroline." Damon laughed as did Bonnie.

"It's difficult not to love her." Bonnie smiled and Damon frowned.

"I know." Damon nodded and Bonnie's eyebrows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" She asked and Damon turned his ear and listened to make sure Caroline was still sleeping.

"I'm afraid that one day she'll see that she could do so much better than me." Damon replied and Bonnie looked shocked. "She could have anyone on the planet and I'm afraid she'll move on to someone who is more deserving off her." Damon said.

"Damon, how can you say that?" Bonnie asked quietly. "She loves you more than anything imaginable."

"She does." Damon nodded. "But she shouldn't. I'll never be good enough for her." He said and Bonnie couldn't believe he could ever think that. He spoiled Caroline rotten, not only materialistically but with his undying love and devotion for her.

"I couldn't imagine anyone that would deserve her more than you." Bonnie said softly. "I've never seen love the way you two love each other." She added.

"That's sweet of you to say." Damon smiled at her. "You know what's funny?" Damon asked. "I told her that if anything ever happened with Lockwood again I'd be done... but the truth is... I would forgive her for anything just so I wouldn't lose her." Damon said and Bonnie was astounded. It made her even angrier at Caroline. "I couldn't even kill him because it would hurt her." Damon added.

"She has no idea how much that hurt you, does she?" Bonnie asked sadly.

"She doesn't need to know that. That would only hurt her and I don't want that." Damon replied as he stared at his knees. He couldn't look Bonnie in the eye. He didn't know why he was telling her this.

"She's the one that did it, I don't understand." Bonnie said confused.

"She's everything to me." Damon replied. "I would never let her be hurt if there was something I could do to prevent it, regardless how it affects me." He said.

"That's not fair to you though." Bonnie replied softly and Damon shrugged.

"If I could go back in time and change it, I would have never left Mystic Falls with her." Damon smiled sadly. "I know that sounds bad, but I could never have imagined being so consumed with someone that I have no regard for myself whatsoever. I'm a constant ball of nerves because of it and it's exhausting." Damon admitted and Bonnie's heart broke for him. She was about to reply when his head snapped to the door and he put his finger over his lips to indicate that Caroline woke up and not to say anything else. A couple of minutes later, Caroline came out of the bedroom with a smile on her face.

"Morning." She said happily then sat next to Damon and kissed him on the cheek.

"Sleep well?" He smiled at her and she nodded.

"You were there. Of course I did." She grinned at him and he chuckled.

"You were talking in your sleep again." Damon smiled.

"What did I say?" She asked curiously.

"Something about needing to get the green dress." He smirked and she laughed. "You have shopping in the brain." He prodded her head softly and she leaned into him.

"Are you really taking me shopping today?" She asked him with wide innocent eyes and he smirked at her.

"Anything you want." He smiled and she grinned at him. "Unless you would rather just take my credit card and you and Bonnie can make a day of it." He shrugged and she kissed him.

"I love you but I haven't been shopping with Bonnie in months." She replied and he chuckled.

"That's fine." He smiled at her. Bonnie wondered then if Caroline always said a 'but' after she told him she loved him.

"You're the best." Caroline grinned at him and it annoyed Bonnie. She had to talk to Caroline about it.

"Maybe you could pick clothes up for me if you have time?" Damon asked her with a smirk. "I don't have any luggage." He said.

"You got it." Bonnie replied as she was sure Caroline's reply would annoy her.

"Nothing ridiculous." Damon warned Caroline and she giggled.

"I think I know you by now." Caroline replied teasingly and Bonnie rolled her eyes in annoyance. She didn't know why, but she found herself wanting to protect Damon. She didn't want him to hurt anymore.

"Just some plain jeans and a couple of plain shirts will be fine." Damon shrugged.

"And boxers." Caroline pointed out. "And socks. You'll need a new jacket too." She replied and Damon chuckled.

"I'll just patch up the bullet hole." He shrugged.

"You can't wear a jacket with a big hole in it." Caroline exclaimed and Damon smirked at her.

"It's my favourite jacket." Damon pointed out. "I don't care about the hole in it." He said.

"How do you know you won't like a new one better?" Caroline asked and Bonnie fumed.

"Shut up about the fucking jacket, Caroline." Bonnie snapped and Damon shot her a look. Damon knew that Caroline didn't mean it as a reference to them but Bonnie was taking it like that.

"Why are you so grouchy this morning?" Caroline asked surprised and Bonnie saw the look Damon was giving her.

"Nightmare. Didn't sleep well." Bonnie huffed.

"You should get yourself a gorgeous vampire to sleep next to." Caroline winked. "Works like a charm." She grinned at her friend and Damon put his arm around her. He wished he could take back his conversation with Bonnie. He hadn't meant to say all of those things to her, it just came out and now he was regretting it.

"I'm sure." Bonnie muttered.

"You want some breakfast?" Caroline asked her. "Damon makes the best breakfast ever." She grinned.

"You haven't even asked him." Bonnie said in disbelief.

"It's fine." Damon replied with a shrug.

"You know what, Care? I'm really not in the mood for shopping today." Bonnie said furiously then stormed into her room and slammed the door. Damon sighed loudly.

"What's wrong with her?" Caroline asked confused.

"No idea, sweet." Damon said to her. "I'll cancel my plans with Seth and you and I can just go shopping, okay?" He smiled at her.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" She asked.

"No, it's fine. It wasn't important." Damon smiled. "You go get ready and I'll call Seth." Damon suggested. She leaned in and kissed him then went into her room to get ready. He was supposed to be going with Seth to track down his grandmother's killer but he couldn't just leave Caroline with Bonnie while she was in that mood. He sent Seth a text message with his apologies and promised they would do it when Caroline went to Mystic Falls to see her mother. Damon was going to stay in New York and hang out with Seth while she was away. Seth was fine with it as he understood that Caroline came first for Damon.

* * *

><p>Damon took her on a shopping spree and he persuaded her to pick up a few things for Bonnie too. He got a couple of things here and there for himself to wear as he was still wearing what he arrived in. He was glad he'd had the sense to wear a black t-shirt so the blood stain from the bullet wouldn't be obvious. They spent the whole day shopping and had lunch together and for once, the shopping didn't drive him crazy as he could see how happy it made her. They arrived back at the apartment just after 5pm and Caroline left him at the front door to go see Tyler. He took her bags and went up to the apartment. He'd arranged for someone to come and fix the lock so he had to knock on the door. Bonnie opened it a minute later and looked at him in disbelief as he had maybe 20 shopping bags in his hands.<p>

"Where's Caroline?" She asked confused and he walked inside.

"She went to see Lockwood." Damon shrugged then set the bags in their room.

"She just left you with all her shopping?" She asked.

"Bonnie." Damon sighed. "You were hard on her this morning." He said.

"She totally takes you for granted!" Bonnie exclaimed and Damon shook his head.

"She doesn't ask for these things, I offer. That's not taking me for granted." Damon pointed out.

"Well, if she constantly accepts them she's taking advantage of you then." Bonnie corrected and Damon sighed.

"Can you just forget everything I whined about this morning please?" Damon asked and Bonnie shook her head.

"No." She said. "It's not fair, Damon." She replied.

"I've done so many awful things, Bonnie. I don't deserve her. I'm lucky she can even find it in her to love me." He replied honestly and Bonnie's jaw dropped.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She exclaimed. She could see that Damon would be easy to love. "Name one thing she's done for you." Bonnie replied and Damon smiled.

"She learned Italian for me." Damon replied.

"Is that it?" Bonnie asked and Damon looked at her in disbelief.

"That's a big deal for me and she knew that." Damon replied. "Please, just drop it." He said.

"I can't." Bonnie shook her head.

"Then I'll compel you to forget it." Damon warned and Bonnie gaped at him.

"I'm a witch, you can't." She said.

"I can, actually." Damon nodded.

"Why would you do that?" She asked softly.

"Dammit, Bonnie." He said. "Haven't you ever said something stupidly that was only an insecure moment, then regretted it because it wasn't relevant?" Damon asked her. "She has plenty of insecurities about me too. Sometimes people just say things and it's just venting. You're making this into an issue when there isn't one."

"Damon, it is an issue though." She said softly.

"Why do you even care? It's me. I'm responsible for the death of your grandmother." Damon replied and Bonnie shook her head.

"No, you aren't." She replied shocking him. "As for why I care... Because, despite everything, you're my friend. And despite everything, I'm your friend. This thing with Caroline is bothering me because she just doesn't get it. She's always taken everyone for granted. It's been like that since we were little. She's always afraid to lose someone but sometimes is just too dumb to realise that she's taking them for granted. I don't believe she means to do it at all, but she still does it." Bonnie explained.

"Please." Damon said to her softly. "Please, just let it go. She's stressed out about the baby coming, her mother's wedding, me being a hybrid and everything else that's going on. She doesn't mean it." Damon replied. "If you're my friend like you say, you'll let it go. For me." He said to her sincerely and she sighed.

"I'll let it go for now. That's all I'm promising." She replied and Damon nodded.

"Caroline got you some stuff." Damon said then picked up five of the shopping bags and handed them to her.

"Thank you." She smiled at him softly.

"Thank her." Damon shrugged.

"I know it was you." She replied.

"I picked half and she picked half." Damon shrugged.

"That was very thoughtful of you." She smiled. Bonnie just knew that it was Damon's idea.

"If you don't like the stuff, we can take it back." Damon nodded.

"I'm sure I'll love it. You have good taste." She said then went into her room to try on her stuff. Damon shook his head at the mess of the situation then took out some clothes and went for a shower.


	11. I Missed You

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

**Okay, so Bonnie sticking up for Damon was taken the wrong way I think. The point of it was to show that Damon is now important to her, it wasn't meant to be Caroline bashing in any way at all. Bonnie adores Caroline and has known her all of her life, she was just trying to get Damon to see that he does deserve her and he should demand to be treated the same way that he treats her. Yes, Bonnie overstepped a teeny bit but it wasn't meant to be portrayed as a bad thing. It was supposed to solidify the friendship between her and Damon since she is going to be living with him after all. And if you think about it, you all will have friends that give you their opinions on your relationships, it's normal behaviour. I don't think Bonnie was wrong, that's why I wrote it that way.**

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 11

* * *

><p>Damon came out of the long shower he'd had, dried off then got dressed in his new clean clothes. It wasn't anything special, just a plain white fitted t-shirt and black jeans. He walked out and went into the living room and sat down on the couch with a drink. Bonnie came out of her room a few minutes later with a smile on her face.<p>

"I love all of it, thank you so much." She grinned and Damon smirked.

"Barbie thought the blue dress might be nice for your date." Damon replied and Bonnie nodded.

"I was thinking that too, actually." Bonnie said then sighed. "Look, I'm really sorry about earlier." Bonnie said and Damon could see she felt guilty.

"It was nice of you to try and look out for me, but I'm a very old guy." He chuckled. "I can look out for myself." He said to her and she nodded.

"I just..." She started. "It might be hard to believe, but I actually care about you Damon." She said surprising him. "And Caroline sometimes just get's wrapped up in things and ends up neglecting other areas in her life. I know I didn't word what I was saying earlier the way I wanted to word it, but I just meant that sometimes she needs a gentle reminder. Do you know what I mean?" She asked softly and Damon nodded. He did know that. When they were in Amsterdam she'd gotten so wrapped up in the decorating, she'd forgotten all about not only him but the guys too. "I've just known her a really long time and we both get hot headed with each other sometimes... it's always been that way." Bonnie added.

"I was just being insecure this morning, Bonnie." Damon replied. "I know that she loves me and only wants me. If there's anything I know, it's that." He said. "I think I just haven't had a lot of luck before and I get jumpy at the first sign of trouble." He chuckled.

"Can I ask? What was that last night when you got Tyler to sit next to her?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Honestly? I was just trying to make him uncomfortable." Damon smirked. "But it backfired since it made her uncomfortable too. I was planning to go a little overboard but the guy practically pissed himself in fear anyway." He chuckled.

"He's terrified of you." Bonnie nodded.

"He probably isn't a bad guy and I really need to stop it." Damon smirked. "I don't really have much right to be pissed at him anyway." He shrugged.

"Why not?" Bonnie asked surprised.

"I banged his mom." Damon said and Bonnie's eyes widened and she burst out laughing.

"Oh, Damon." She laughed.

"Don't tell, Barbie." He smirked. "I don't think she'll find it as funny." Damon replied.

"I think Tyler would attempt to attack you if you told him that." Bonnie replied and Damon grinned mischievously.

"Really?" He quipped and she rolled her eyes.

"You're going to tell him now anyway, aren't you?" She asked and Damon laughed.

"No, I promised the Captain he could tell him." Damon smiled and Bonnie laughed.

"He's just like you isn't he?" Bonnie shook her head in amusement.

"In some ways, maybe. I'm probably his evil twin." Damon shrugged with a smirk. "He has a great sense of humour." Damon replied.

"Don't you just mean he gets your sense of humour?" She smirked and he laughed.

"You mean what Stefan calls 'Damon humour'?" Damon asked and she nodded. "He does get me." He agreed. "Barbie's coming up." Damon smiled and looked at the door. "You should apologise to her for snapping." Damon said quietly and Bonnie sighed and nodded then went to the door. She opened it and a few minutes later Caroline appeared with a big dress bag, grinning like an idiot.

"Hey, Bon!" She smiled and walked in.

"Hey, Care... I'm sorry for earlier." Bonnie said and she did mean it. Caroline hugged her.

"It's okay, sweetie. I've snapped at you plenty of times over the years." She shrugged then let go. "It happens." She smiled then went over to Damon. "I have a surprise for you!" Caroline exclaimed happily and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"I thought you were going to see Lockwood?" Damon asked confused as he couldn't smell him on her.

"I blew him off for this instead." She grinned and handed him the dress bag.

"I won't suit a dress." Damon smirked at her and she sighed.

"Just open it." She said ignoring his sarcasm. He unzipped the dress bag and it revealed his jacket and he looked at it confused. "I saw a leather store earlier that had a sign up saying they could restore and fix old leather. Look." She pointed to where the bullet hole had been and it was completely fixed. Damon stared at the jacket in disbelief then at her. He jumped up on his feet and hugged her.

"I love you." He smiled into her hair then looked at Bonnie over Caroline's shoulder who finally understood. He grinned at her so she would get that it's not just him who does things for her.

"Well, I just thought that since it was your favourite and you were going to wear it anyway, you should be able to wear it without the big ugly hole." Caroline said then Damon pulled away and kissed her.

"What would I do without you?" Damon smiled fondly at her.

"Let's never ever find out." She grinned then kissed him again.

"Agreed." He chuckled. "You want a drink?" He asked her.

"Yes, please." She said and he chuckled.

"Cosmo?" He asked her amused and she giggled.

"You know it." She winked.

"Bonnie?" Damon asked.

"I'll have the same, please." She smiled at him and nodded at him to show that she got it. Damon went into the kitchen and started making the drinks.

"Doesn't this mean you'll have to just go find Lockwood later?" Damon asked Caroline and she shook her head.

"He can wait 'til tomorrow." She smiled at him. "Oh and guess what?" Caroline grinned.

"What?" Damon asked amused.

"The guy in the leather store is going to make you an exact copy of the jacket so you have a spare. It'll be done before we go home." She smiled at him and he looked stunned.

"Sto per dire grazie a voi correttamente dopo il tuo amica si spegne." Damon winked and she laughed. _(I'm going to thank you properly when your friend goes out.)_

"Non vedo l'ora di avere la mia strada con te." She wiggled her eyebrows and Damon's eyes bugged. _(I can't wait to have my way with you.)_

"When are you going out Judgy?" Damon asked her as he stared at Caroline and Bonnie laughed. She figured they were going to jump each other the second she walked out the door.

"In an hour." She replied with a laugh.

"No offense, but I can't wait." Damon smirked and she giggled.

"None taken." She replied.

"What are you going to wear?" Caroline asked excitedly.

"Thanks for the things you guys got, I love them." Bonnie smiled. "I'm going to take your suggestion and wear the blue dress." Bonnie replied and Caroline clapped in glee.

"I knew you would just look so hot in that." She grinned at her friend and Damon shot Bonnie a look that said 'told you so' then brought them both their drinks and he sat next to Caroline and pulled her into his side and she kissed his cheek.

"Thanks." Bonnie pointed to the drink.

"The Captain's favourite colour is blue." Damon winked at her and the girls laughed.

"How do you know that?" Caroline cocked an eyebrow at him and he shrugged.

"I know everything about him." Damon smirked and Caroline laughed.

"How is it I never catch you making these constant calls to him? Or him to you?" She asked.

"I've lived a long time; you don't think I learned how to be stealthy?" Damon quipped and they laughed.

"I miss Nicky." Caroline huffed and Damon chuckled.

"Why don't you call him? I'm sure he'd be really happy if you did." Damon replied.

"Won't he be asleep?" Caroline asked sceptically and Damon smirked.

"I don't think he'd care if he was busy getting his heart ripped out, he'd want to talk to you." Damon chuckled and she smiled.

"You're calling Klaus?" Bonnie asked sceptically. She still wasn't sure she believed all this.

"Put it on speaker so she can hear what he's like with you." Damon smirked.

"Okay!" She exclaimed and Damon handed his phone to her and she dialled his number and pressed the speaker button.

"_Hi Damon._" Klaus answered

"Wrong Salvatore!" Caroline exclaimed and Damon smiled widely at her answer while Klaus laughed.

"_Hello my darling! I miss you rotten!_" Klaus said and Bonnie looked surprised at just how delighted he sounded to hear from her even though he'd clearly been asleep.

"I miss you too! That's why I'm calling." Caroline grinned.

"_Well, it's lovely to hear from you! How's New York?_" He asked.

"It's great. Damon took me shopping today." She giggled and Klaus laughed.

"_So is he passed out drunk now then?_" Klaus asked and Damon chuckled.

"I can hear you, jackass." Damon smirked and Klaus laughed.

"How's Ireland?" Caroline chirped.

"_It's been great so far, but it's rubbish that Damon left since I'm stuck with two single guys who keep buggering off to get laid._" Klaus complained and Caroline laughed.

"Stefan's actually getting some?" Damon asked amused. "Didn't think he had it in him." He said and Klaus sniggered.

"_Ric's actually been the most popular with the ladies._" Klaus said and Damon laughed.

"That's my boy!" Damon quipped and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"_They're off on a double date with twins tonight._" Klaus laughed.

"Aww, is his majesty all alone?" Damon teased and Klaus sighed.

"_Prick._" Klaus said and Caroline laughed.

"You tell him, Nicky." Caroline giggled.

"_Aside from regretting your decision to marry Damon, what have you been doing?_" Klaus asked amused and Caroline giggled while Damon rolled his eyes.

"Hanging out with Bonnie, Tyler and Seth." She replied.

"_You having fun, darling?_" He asked.

"Bonnie and Seth are fun. Tyler's kind of been a drag though." She replied.

"_Damon not killed him yet?_" Klaus chuckled.

"No, but he scared him half to death last night." Caroline said as she glared at Damon.

"_They saw each other?_" Klaus asked in disbelief.

"We did." Damon replied.

"_Am I on speaker?_" Klaus asked and Damon laughed.

"It only took your old ass what? Five minutes to figure that one out? I'm impressed." Damon smirked and Bonnie looked shocked at Damon's words.

"_And to think I was actually looking forward to seeing you, Damon._" Klaus sighed and Damon laughed.

"You know you love me really." Damon pointed out and Caroline nudged him playfully.

"Damon, be nice." Caroline instructed.

"Yes, dear." Damon replied sarcastically and Klaus laughed.

"_That reminds me! Sweetheart, did Damon tell you that he admitted to being whipped?_" Klaus asked amused and Damon glared at the phone.

"Listen, king, I'm so going to kick your ass when I see you again and you know I can." Damon said and Klaus laughed.

"_I'm shaking in my boots._" Klaus said and Damon smirked.

"You're wearing boots in bed?" Damon asked and they could practically hear Klaus roll his eyes.

"_Shut up, Damon._" Klaus said and they all laughed.

"Have you heard from the surrogates?" Caroline asked curiously.

"_Everything's fine, darling. You should give Noelle a call if you're worried._" He suggested.

"I just don't like being so far away from them." Caroline replied.

"_I'm going back to Amsterdam tomorrow, I'll check on them personally._" Klaus reassured her.

"Nicky, you're the best." Caroline grinned and he laughed.

"What do you mean you're going back? What about the other two?" Damon asked confused and Klaus laughed.

"_They've decided to stay an extra week and I have some business to attend to._" Klaus said and Bonnie watched Damon go on high alert.

"One sec." Damon said and gestured for Caroline to give him the phone and she did. He put it off speaker and raced out of the apartment.

"Crap." Caroline sighed.

* * *

><p>Damon got downstairs and checked that nobody was listening.<p>

"What's going on?" Damon asked him.

"_There are a group of vampires causing big problems in Russia. I need to go home and see if I can get it solved without going myself._" Klaus said.

"Tell me if you have to go to Russia and I'll come with you." Damon said.

"_I was going to call you as soon as I got to Amsterdam and find out exactly what's going on._" Klaus agreed.

"What have you been told so far?" Damon asked.

"_They're slaughtering everything in their way and turning people left and right. It sounds like they're building up an army._" Klaus replied.

"Are we the target?" Damon asked and Klaus sighed.

"_Yes. I'm concerned that my siblings are to blame for this._" Klaus admitted and Damon nodded.

"We need a plan." Damon replied. "If the other Original's are involved they could easily get witches involved." Damon added.

"_Nobody knows that you were changed outside our circle, right?_" Klaus asked.

"Lockwood knows." Damon replied.

"_You either need to take him out or compel him to forget it. We can't allow that to become common knowledge. It makes you the secret weapon._" Klaus replied.

"I'll take care of it." Damon nodded. "Call me when you get more details and I'll be on a flight back." Damon replied. "We need to protect everyone."

"_It's good that Stefan and Ric are prolonging their stay as they would be useless against my siblings._" He replied.

"Bonnie could help us if it came down to that."

"_Would she though?_" Klaus asked.

"Yes." Damon replied. "I think she would but I'll ask anyway."

"_Is she still powered by the 100 witches._" Klaus asked.

"She is." Damon answered.

"_Let me know what she says._" Klaus replied.

"I will. Call me when you get home." Damon instructed.

"_I will._" Klaus replied then Damon hung up and went back up to the apartment. Typical.

* * *

><p>Damon walked in the door and Caroline was standing waiting for him anxiously.<p>

"What's going on?" She asked him and he sighed.

"Don't worry about it." Damon said and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Damon." She warned.

"Klaus and I might have to go on a little trip soon. He'll let me know when he gets home." Damon replied.

"A trip where?" She asked cautiously.

"Caroline." He shook his head. "You're not getting involved in this." Damon said.

"Please just tell me." She said worried and he sighed and sat down on the couch and she followed and sat next to him.

"Klaus and I might have to go take out the Originals." Damon replied and both she and Bonnie gasped.

"How?" Bonnie asked.

"You didn't tell her?" Damon asked Caroline and she shook her head.

"Tell me what?" Bonnie asked.

"You remember I was kidnapped in Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked and Bonnie nodded. "She was an Original."

"You killed her? By yourself?" Bonnie asked Damon in disbelief and he nodded.

"Because I killed her, none of the others know that Klaus changed me. They will only be prepared for one hybrid." Damon replied.

"But that could get you killed!" Caroline exclaimed. "They'll have witches!" She yelled.

"And Bonnie can protect you while I'm gone, just in case they come after you." Damon replied ignoring her protests.

"No! You can't go!" Caroline said as tears brimmed in her eyes.

"We'll never be safe with the Originals looming over our heads." Damon said to her softly. "They are hell bent on killing Klaus even though he's just trying to live his life with us. I won't tolerate that." Damon replied shocking Bonnie. Damon really cared about Klaus.

"Nicky can take them. Please. Just let him go without you." Caroline pleaded as tears streamed down her face. Damon smiled at her kindly and wiped away her tears.

"You know I can't do that." Damon said to her. "If the roles were reversed, he wouldn't let me go alone." Damon added. Caroline slumped forward into his arms and cried into his shoulder. "Don't worry, so much." He said as he rubbed her back. "Nothing's going to happen. We'll kill them all then we'll all be safe." Damon said to her.

"Then take me with you." She replied and Damon's features hardened.

"No." Damon said and she pulled away.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because, you can be killed too easily." Damon replied.

"I'll just follow you." She said and he smirked.

"Then I'll just have to compel you to stay in this apartment." Damon replied and she gasped.

"You wouldn't." She said in disbelief.

"I would do anything to keep you safe. Even if that means pissing you off so badly that I'll have to buy you an island to make up for it." He said and Bonnie laughed. "Besides, we haven't even come up with a plan. Klaus' Intel could be wrong. He'll find out when he goes home then he'll call me." Damon shrugged.

"Promise me you won't just take off without saying goodbye." She replied and Damon chuckled.

"You know me well enough to know that if there's a possibility that I might die, I'll want to get laid first." Damon said and both girls laughed. He would say that.

"But, Damon. This is so dangerous." Caroline said.

"What about Viktor?" Damon asked her and her face fell.

"You would risk him growing up with no dad?" She asked him and he smiled at her.

"Would you risk him being killed out of spite by the Originals?" Damon asked her and she gulped.

"I see your point." She nodded.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Bonnie asked and Damon shrugged.

"I'll let you know if there is." Damon nodded. "Klaus knows more about the Originals than I do. I'll ask him. I'm only concerned that this might be a diversion to get Klaus there while the Originals pick off the rest of us. Stefan and Ric are staying in Ireland and Caroline can be here with you, that way nobody will be at home if they've found us there." Damon explained.

"Okay." Bonnie nodded.

"Now, let's not think about this anymore." Damon smiled at Caroline. "You should go get ready." Damon pointed to Bonnie. "Seth will be here in half an hour."

"He's coming early?" Bonnie's eyes bugged and Damon chuckled.

"He wants to talk to me about something." Damon shrugged.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, Bonnie was in her room with Caroline getting ready and Damon went to the door to let Seth in. They hugged as always as they were always so happy to see each other.<p>

"You know that thing that we're going to do?" Damon asked him quietly and Seth nodded. "Are you free tomorrow? I might have to fly out of New York tomorrow night." Damon said.

"I'm free." He nodded. "Is everything in place?" He asked curiously.

"It is." Damon replied.

"I just want to get it over with." Seth sighed and Damon put his arm over his shoulders.

"We'll get it done." Damon reassured him.

"Thank you." Seth said sincerely and Damon grinned.

"Anytime." Damon nodded. They had a drink together as they waited for the girls and soon enough Bonnie came out wearing a knee length, bright blue strapless dress looking gorgeous. They left for their date shortly after and Seth thought she looked spectacular. Damon made another cocktail for Caroline then went to sit beside her on the couch.

"You need to tell me what's going on." Caroline said to him.

"Huh?" Damon asked confused.

"What are you and Seth up to?" Caroline asked and Damon sighed.

"I can't tell you." Damon replied and Caroline looked surprised.

"I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other." She replied.

"We don't but this isn't my secret, it's his." Damon shrugged.

"I won't say anything." Caroline urged. She loved knowing secrets.

"I'm still not telling you." Damon smirked and she huffed.

"What is it you're doing? Just tell me that." She replied.

"Fine. But you can't say anything." Damon warned and she nodded. "I'm taking someone out for him." Damon shrugged and her eyes widened.

"You're going to kill someone for Seth?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Damon nodded.

"Why?" She asked confused and Damon chuckled.

"What part of 'I'm not telling you' was confusing?" Damon asked with a smirk and she rolled her eyes.

"Did he ask you to do it?" She asked.

"No, I was going to do it without telling him but it came up so I told him." Damon shrugged. "He wants to be there when I do it." Damon added.

"So this person that you're taking out... does he deserve it?" Caroline asked and Damon nodded.

"Absolutely." Damon replied.

"Can I come?" Caroline asked and Damon chuckled.

"Why would you want to come watch me kill a human?" Damon asked curiously and she shrugged.

"You came shopping with me." She said like it was obvious and Damon laughed loudly.

"It's not quite the same thing. You only want to come because you're dying to know the secret." Damon pointed out and she giggled.

"I so am." She grinned.

"I'll ask the Captain if I can tell you." He said.

"Text him." Caroline said and Damon rolled his eyes. He pulled out his phone and typed a quick text.

_Barbie wants to know the truth, want me to tell her? If you'd rather keep it between us, that's fine too. DM_

Moments later he received a text back.

_I don't mind Cookie knowing._ _CA_

Damon smirked at the text.

"What did he say?" Caroline grinned and Damon chuckled.

"I can tell you." Damon rolled his eyes and she smiled. "You know Martha?" Damon asked and Caroline looked confused.

"Seth's grandma who died? She was such a sweetheart." Caroline smiled sadly and Damon nodded.

"She was mugged and shot." Damon replied and Caroline gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Tell me you're killing the bastard who mugged her!" Caroline replied and Damon smirked.

"Bingo." He nodded.

"I definitely want to come and support Seth." She nodded. "Wait – you told me she died of a heart attack." Caroline said confused.

"That's what Seth's family told everyone. They didn't want to tarnish her memory with how brutally she was killed. She wouldn't have wanted that... The guy beat her up first, you see." Damon replied.

"Oh my god!" Caroline exclaimed. "But she was so small and fragile! How could anyone hurt her?" Caroline asked in disbelief.

"I don't know." Damon shook his head. "Seth said that if the mugger had given her a sob story she would have just given him the money. He didn't need to do that to her." Damon replied sadly.

"That is so sad." Caroline said and Damon saw a tear roll down her cheek.

"It is. Seth's been torn up about it for weeks. I think this will help." Damon replied.

"Wait is that what you were supposed to be doing with him this morning?" She asked confused and Damon nodded. "Why? Why did you blow him off to take me out shopping?" She asked.

"Because I love you." Damon shrugged and she sighed.

"It was because of Bonnie, right?" She asked.

"I didn't want to leave you alone with her while she was in her bad mood." Damon replied and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know why she was mad at me, don't you?" She asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"What happened to us knocking boots?" Damon asked her annoyed.

"Tell me." Caroline said.

"If I tell you, then can we get naked?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and she smirked.

"Of course." She said.

"She thinks you take me for granted." Damon replied and Caroline nodded.

"I know that." Caroline replied surprising Damon.

"She told you that before?" Damon asked confused.

"Yeah." Caroline said. "That and I do take you for granted. I don't mean to, though. I love you more than words could ever describe but sometimes I just don't know how to find a balance." She replied sadly.

"I don't think you take me for granted." Damon shrugged and Caroline smiled at him.

"I know you don't." She said.

"I also stupidly told her some of my insecurities." Damon said cautiously.

"You need to tell me about your insecurities, Damon." Caroline took his hand. "I'm the only one that can answer you on them." She replied. "Tell me what yours are and I'll tell you what mine are." She moved and sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck.

"I worry that you'll find someone else." Damon replied.

"I worry that you'll find someone else too." She replied. "I couldn't bear it if you fell in love with someone else." She said.

"Neither could I." Damon replied and kissed her softly. "I might joke about thinking Zara is hot but she isn't you." Damon said. "There is only you for me." Damon replied.

"And there's only you for me." She agreed. "Tyler was a moment of insecurity for me, but there were never any feelings there nor will there ever be. I want to be honest with you... there's something else I didn't tell you about that." Caroline said.

"You can tell me." Damon said softly.

"I knew he loved me... I think I just wanted the attention." She replied. "You and I were fighting all the time because of the hybrid thing, we hadn't had sex for ages, we had just had an argument and I heard you say you weren't happy and I stupidly thought it was me making you unhappy. I just wanted to feel loved for a minute and it was stupid and immature and I regret it." She said to him.

"I'm sorry that I made you feel that way." Damon stroked her cheek. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did." Damon said. He felt all the hurt over it wash away with her explanation.

"I'm sorry that I did that to you." She said.

"I don't think you did it to me... You were seeking comfort and things like that happen. In a way it's good that it happened because we're better than ever now, right?" Damon asked her with a smile.

"You're not mad at me over it anymore?" She asked.

"No." He shook his head. "Seth was telling the truth, I'm completely over it." Damon said honestly.

"I love you so much." She said into his eyes and he smiled.

"I love you too." He replied. "You don't ever have to be insecure when it comes to me. I won't ever do anything to hurt you." He said.

"I will let go of my insecurities if you do." She said. "I'd rather stake myself than ever hurt you again." She said.

"You have yourself a deal, Caroline Forbes-Salvatore." He smiled.

"Just Salvatore." She replied. "I'm your wife and I'm proud to be Mrs Salvatore." She smiled and he crashed his lips to hers.

* * *

><p>Bonnie and Seth sat together in a booth in a quiet corner of a romantically darkened restaurant. They'd just finished their meals and were having a great time together.<p>

"So are you really going to become a vampire?" Bonnie asked curiously as she was still debating with herself. Seth just smiled at her.

"Absolutely." He nodded. "I want to be a part of that world. I know Damon wants people to think he's just a total dick all the time but that guy has helped me in more ways than you can ever imagine, for nothing in return. He's my best friend in the world and I'm just really lucky to have him in my life." Seth said honestly. "And Cookie is just a sweetheart. I totally adore that girl. I know they have their issues but they're perfect for each other." Seth grinned.

"They are." Bonnie nodded with a smile. "I made the mistake of butting my nose in." Bonnie admitted and Seth chuckled.

"To Cookie or Damon?" Seth asked amused.

"Damon." She said and he chuckled.

"I'm surprised he let you. What did you say?" Seth asked curiously.

"He's just so head over heels in love with her and I think sometimes she doesn't always act the same way. She takes him for granted a little." Bonnie shrugged and Seth nodded.

"I've noticed that a little too but when Damon gets fed up he tells her off." Seth smirked. "They've got it covered, Bonnie. It's better just to let them deal with their own stuff unless they ask for help or advice. And Cookie does love Damon more than anything." Seth smiled. "I met her the night they got married." Seth laughed.

"Really?" Bonnie asked surprised. "Nobody told me how you guys know each other actually." She said.

"They'd just gotten on the Galapagos cruise and Damon was being pissy with her because he was totally in love with her but she called them just friends." Seth smirked. "He went off to a bar to sulk then Cookie took a walk up to the back of the boat and was staring out at the water. I was there with my whole family and they were driving me crazy so I went for a walk and saw her standing by herself staring out at the water and she just looked so sad and conflicted so I asked her to go for a drink with me. I thought she was beautiful, obviously, but you know that look someone gets when they're in love?" He asked and Bonnie nodded. "She had that look." Seth smiled. "So it wasn't like that. She just looked like she needed someone to talk to so we went for a drink. We talked for a while and she told me that she was there with her friend but he was mad at her because he wanted to be more than friends but she was terrified to go there. She knew that she was in love with him already but she was sure if she let herself be with him that he would break her heart irreparably. I told her that she just needed to tell him exactly what she was feeling and if he wasn't feeling the same then at least she would know. Then Damon spotted us from outside the bar and I could just tell that he thought I was trying to pick her up." Seth laughed and Bonnie listened in fascination. "So she told me she would take my advice and go talk to him and we agreed to meet up the next day on the outing to see the tortoises and she could tell me what happened. We clicked right away and I just knew that we would be friends." Seth smiled.

"Then what happened?" Bonnie asked fascinated and Seth chuckled.

"The next day I was down looking at the tortoises and I turned around and saw them coming off the boat, hand in hand and both were grinning like idiots. When Damon saw me I could just tell he despised me in that moment." Seth laughed.

"How did you become such close friends then?" Bonnie asked confused and Seth chuckled.

"I introduced myself to him and he shook my hand and told me his name, though I knew already. I told him I'd heard a lot about him from Caroline and he looked totally shocked and confused and it was obvious he was thinking something like 'I was sure it was a date' and I tried not to laugh at him." Seth smirked. "Then the whole day he just kept making fun of everything and insulting everyone and I kept laughing because that dude is funny, so I started making jokes back and he realised that we have the same sense of humour and it just went from there." Seth shrugged.

"How did you find out they got married?" Bonnie asked and Seth laughed.

"Caroline was bent over looking at something and one of the older passengers was checking out her ass and Damon gave the guy a look and said 'Dude, that's my wife and I'll break your fucking neck if you don't stop looking at her ass.'" Seth laughed and Bonnie giggled.

"Damon would say something like that." Bonnie laughed.

"He said stuff like that a lot on the cruise." Seth smirked. "I turned to Caroline and was like, did he just say wife? She laughed and told me they got married." Seth grinned. "At first I was like, you two are crazy but after seeing them together for like two days I just understood. Those two were fated, I'm sure of it." He grinned. "It was awesome that they got the Captain of the ship to marry them." He smirked. "Cookie said he was a little drunk." Seth and Bonnie laughed.

"It is romantic." Bonnie smiled. "When did you find out what they are?" Bonnie asked.

"The last time they were in New York." Seth replied.

"Were you shocked?" She asked and Seth laughed.

"Not at all actually. Damon has kind of an aura around him that screams supernatural." Seth said. "He doesn't behave like a human and you just get this feeling from him that he could kill you with one finger." Seth laughed.

"He is probably the most dangerous creature you'll ever come across." Bonnie nodded.

"Not to me." Seth shook his head. "That's why when he told me the truth it didn't bother me because I know who he really is." Seth said.

"You're really loyal to him, aren't you?" Bonnie asked softly.

"I'll always have his back, Bonnie. Always." He nodded.

"Can I tell you something?" She asked cautiously.

"Of course." Seth nodded.

"I'm thinking about turning too." She replied and Seth looked surprised.

"I didn't see that one coming. Damon said you would never turn. He said you hate vampires." Seth replied and it was Bonnie's turn to look surprised.

"What has he told you about me?" Bonnie asked.

"Basics, really." Seth shrugged. "He told me that he attacked you once but he didn't tell me why."

"I'm a witch." She replied and Seth looked surprised.

"So it wasn't a figure of speech the other day?" Seth smirked and Bonnie laughed.

"No." She shook her head. "He attacked me because my ancestor possessed my body and destroyed something that he needed at the time."

"How did you survive?" Seth looked shocked.

"Stefan stopped him." Bonnie replied.

"That was back when the whole Katherine and Elena thing was keeping them from being close, right?" Seth asked and Bonnie looked really stunned.

"He really does tell you everything, doesn't he?" Bonnie giggled.

"He tells me stuff about him but he's not one to tell other people's secrets." Seth nodded. "I'm guessing that's why he didn't tell me about you." Seth shrugged. "He probably wasn't sure if you would want me to know."

"You're taking it really well." She said surprised and he laughed.

"My best friend is a vampire – what is going to shock me?" He asked amused and Bonnie laughed.

"Well he's not really a..." She replied and Seth put a finger to his lips.

"We can't talk about that in public." Seth whispered to her and Bonnie was shocked that Seth knew to keep it so quiet.

"Okay." She nodded.

"Are you looking forward to moving to Amsterdam?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes and no. I'm kind of worried about being around..." Bonnie trailed off as she knew Klaus didn't want people knowing his location.

"His majesty?" Seth smirked and Bonnie laughed.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Don't be." Seth shook his head. "Damon always tells me what an awesome guy he is, though he'll deny saying that." Seth smirked. "It'll be nice to get to know you better." Seth smiled and Bonnie blushed.

"You too." She replied.

"If you're really thinking about turning, you should talk to Damon about it. He'll help you in whatever decision you make." Seth nodded. "He'll tell you what it's like in all honesty and what you can expect from your life if you change."

"He did that for you?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Yeah, he told me in detail both the best parts and the worst parts." Seth replied. "Wait - are you the witch that took away his bloodlust?" He asked curiously. Bonnie felt like she should really stop being so surprised every time she learned of something else Seth knew about.

"Yeah." Bonnie nodded.

"You helped him so much by doing that." Seth nodded. "You changed his life completely. He wanted to die before you did that for him." Seth admitted.

"How is he taking the change now?" Bonnie asked.

"It's still tough for him sometimes but he's dealing." Seth nodded.

* * *

><p>Caroline was wrapped up in Damon as they lay in bed together.<p>

"Babe?" Caroline asked.

"Hmm?" Damon replied. She was curled into his chest.

"See when the Originals are taken care of and we're safe?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"How would you feel about me carrying our next baby?" She asked him and he sat up in shock and held onto her arms while he looked into her eyes.

"Are you actually nuts?" Damon asked her and she laughed.

"Wouldn't you like to see me all glowy and round carrying your baby?" She asked him with a loving smile. Part of him, the 1800s southern boy, wanted that more than anything but the other part, the jaded vampire, couldn't want that less.

"Why would you want that?" Damon asked her shocked.

"I've been thinking about it since we first found out that Noelle is pregnant." She smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to hold Viktor and I'm going to love him more than anything but I kind of feel like I'm missing out on the first mothering experiences. I'll never feel him kick for the first time." She touched her stomach. "I'll never experience being pregnant." She said sadly.

"On the upside you wouldn't have to go through child birth either." Damon pointed out and she laughed.

"I even want the child birth part." She smiled.

"Caroline, you're dead." Damon said to her sadly. "We wouldn't know what kind of effects the necklace would have if worn that long. Your body has been dead for a while and kick starting it like that again for so long could make you really die. I couldn't handle that." Damon replied.

"Don't you remember at the conception clinic? They did a full physical on me while I had it on and I was perfectly healthy." She pointed out.

"You were but I don't think it was intended for long time use." Damon countered.

"Well, maybe Bonnie could make me human again without the necklace then I could do it once and turn again after." She smiled and Damon sighed.

"You don't want to be a vampire, do you?" Damon asked her seriously.

"Actually, I love being a vampire. I wouldn't want to be human permanently." She countered.

"So, this is only about wanting to carry a child?" Damon asked sceptically.

"Yes." She smiled and Damon sighed.

"Can we think about this for a while? You remember what I was like when you wore the necklace for only three days. I think I'll be a million times worse if you're actually human and pregnant." He replied and she giggled.

"I'm not talking about right now. I mean in a couple of years down the line. I want time with Viktor first before thinking about giving him a brother." She smiled.

"Maybe." Damon replied and she smiled.

"I just want you to think about it." She nodded.

"I'm starting to get really excited about Viktor coming." Damon grinned. "Only a few months to go." Damon said.

"Me too." She smiled. "Can you believe we're having a son together? Our son?" She kissed him.

"No." Damon shook his head. "It's so amazing." He smiled. "I'm glad he's being born in Amsterdam. I feel like that's our home." He replied.

"I lived in Mystic Falls my whole life but Amsterdam's my home." She nodded. "I get what you're saying. And with Nicky, Stefan and Ric in our lives, it's just perfect. You know I can't imagine my life without Nicky and Stefan now." She smiled. "I don't love Ric as much yet because he hasn't been with us as long but I'm sure in a few months I will." She grinned.

"Even I feel like Klaus is my brother." Damon nodded. "It's hard to believe that only six months ago, we wanted him dead."

"I'm so glad Bonnie and Elijah didn't kill him." Caroline agreed.

"Me too." Damon nodded then pulled her back down to lie with him.

"I miss Stefan." She laughed and Damon smirked.

"You should call him tomorrow. He'd like that." Damon suggested. "I can't believe I was ever jealous of your friendship with him." Damon laughed and Caroline rubbed his chest.

"I can't believe I was jealous of Zara." Caroline replied and Damon chuckled.

"She is pretty hot." He said and Caroline giggled and smacked him playfully on the arm. "What?" He laughed. "She is."

"Yeah, she is." Caroline agreed. "You think she'll stick around when Nicky tells her the truth?" Caroline asked.

"She's gaga over him already, as hard as that is to believe. I think she will." Damon replied. "Honestly, if anything is going to scare her away it'll be the fact he's having twins and they aren't hers." Damon smirked.

"It's so typical, you know? He doesn't meet anyone for 1000 years so he goes the parenting thing alone then meets someone." She sighed and Damon chuckled.

"But if he hadn't, he might not have met Zara." Damon pointed out and she laughed.

"True." She shrugged. "Maybe it was meant to be this way." She said.

"Think you were meant to be with me?" Damon asked curiously and she giggled.

"What was it you said yesterday? Our generation would say 'duh'?" She asked and he chuckled.

"Well played Mrs Salvatore." Damon smirked and she kissed him.

"I know, Mr Salvatore." She winked.


	12. Take Care of my Girl

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 12

* * *

><p>Caroline and Seth walked behind Damon into an old abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere. Caroline noticed that there were no other buildings in sight – probably so nobody could hear what was about to happen. Seth didn't say it but he was glad that she was there to support him... he was kind of terrified after all. When they got inside, the man – Sydney Johnson, Martha's killer – was sitting in a seat looking confused. Damon walked up to him leaving Seth and Caroline to watch from several feet away.<p>

"Stand up." Damon compelled him and he did.

"Who are you?" Sydney asked.

"I'm the guy who's going to kill you." Damon smirked and Sydney's eyes widened in fear.

"What? Why?" Sydney asked and Damon took off his leather jacket and set it down a few feet away.

"You really don't know why?" Damon asked amused.

"What the fuck is a pretty boy like you going to do anyway?" Sydney scoffed and Damon chuckled. "I'll kill you first, asshole." He said.

"Why is it nobody ever believes me?" Damon asked Caroline and Seth amused. Sydney got into a defensive attack stance and Damon raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, since you asked nicely." Damon said then allowed his face to change and Sydney's eyes bugged and he took a step back.

"What the fuck are you?" Sydney yelled and Damon chuckled.

"I'm a vampire." Damon replied like it was obvious then started to slowly walk in a circle around Sydney. He was trying to scare the living daylights out of him and he was. Sydney started to shake.

"Please. Please, don't kill me." Sydney pleaded and Damon laughed.

"That's rich." Damon replied amused.

"Why me?" Sydney pleaded.

"Well, the thing about mugging a sweet old lady like Martha, then beating her half to death, then to add insult to injury, shooting her..." Damon trailed off and Sydney's eyes widened. "Is that you would never know that her grandson's best friend is a volatile and homicidal vampire." Damon smirked.

"I'm sorry." Sydney started to cry and Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't bring her back, does it?" Damon asked and Sydney gulped.

"If you kill me, it doesn't make you any better." Sydney pointed out and Damon laughed loudly.

"You're funny, dude. I've killed hundreds of people... you won't even be a blip on my radar." Damon replied as he kept circling. Sydney burst into tears and Damon just wanted to be a horrible bastard. "I love it when they cry." Damon replied. "Cry your eyes out Syd, it won't help you." Damon replied.

"What are you going to do?" Sydney asked in a shaky voice.

"Down to business, then. I like that." Damon smirked. "What'll it be, Captain? Heart ripped out? Head ripped off? Spine ripped out? I could snap his neck but that's too quick in my opinion. I could drain him dry but that only hurts for a second." Damon smirked. "Or... I could get creative if you like? I could just start ripping out the lesser organs and see what happens." Damon grinned at Sydney practically going green in fear. "Or I could beat him to death like he did poor Martha."

"Damon, you're taking this too far." Caroline said in a small voice. Damon turned to look at Seth and Caroline and could see that they were horrified. He sometimes forgot that Seth was only human after all and Caroline – although a vampire – wasn't equipped for things like this. He should have just done this alone.

"You two should go." Damon replied softly. "I'll deal with him myself." Damon added.

"Sydney?" Seth asked as tears rolled down his face.

"What?" The man cried.

"Why did you do it? She raised me. She was the most important person in my life. If you had just asked her for the money you took, she would have given it to you. She was just like that. Why? I need to know why?" Seth asked as he cried.

"I'm sorry." Sydney whispered. "It wasn't about the money... It was an initiation." He said and Damon's face grew furious.

"A gang initiation?" Damon yelled.

"Yes." Sydney nodded ashamed.

"Do it, Damon." Seth said infuriated and Caroline put her arms around him.

"With pleasure." Damon said then rushed forward and stuck his hand in Sydney's chest and held onto his heart. "I hope it was worth it." Damon said into his eyes as Sydney screamed in pain. Then Damon pulled his heart out. Sydney's eyes went blank and he slumped to the floor and Damon tossed the heart across the room. There was a little sink so Damon went forward to it and washed his hands. He picked up his jacket from the floor then turned back to look at Seth. He was hugging Caroline tightly as he cried into her shoulder. "We should go." Damon said as he walked over to them. Seth surprised him by letting go of Caroline and hugging him instead. Damon held onto him tightly. "Are you okay?" Damon asked into his neck.

"No, but I will be." Seth replied and Damon nodded. Damon kept his arm around Seth as he led them back out to the car. Damon had compelled one from a neighbour for the day. Caroline sat in the back seat with Seth and Damon drove them back to the city.

* * *

><p>"I need to see, Lockwood." Damon announced when they got back to New York and Caroline looked at him confused.<p>

"Why?" She asked.

"With everything going on with the Originals, he can't know about me. I have to compel him to forget that I'm a hybrid." Damon explained.

"Nicky tell you to do that?" Caroline asked surprised.

"No, he told me to kill him." Damon smirked and Caroline's eyes widened. "But if I compel him to forget it, that'll do." Damon shrugged and she nodded.

"Are you going to make me forget too?" Seth asked and Damon shook his head.

"Not to forget, no. But if an Original approached you, they could compel the truth out of you. If you don't mind, I'd like to compel you to be resistant to any other compulsion." Damon said.

"So you would basically make it so nobody could ever compel him?" Caroline asked intrigued.

"If he's okay with that." Damon nodded.

"So I wouldn't be able to be mind controlled?" Seth asked curiously.

"Exactly. I could still do it but I wouldn't." Damon replied.

"I trust you." Seth said. "You can do that." He agreed.

"Can you do that to me too?" Caroline asked curiously.

"I'll do it so that only Klaus and I can compel you." Damon nodded and she looked confused.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because you're a stubborn little vampire and there might come a day where he has to stop you from doing something that would get you killed." Damon replied and she huffed.

"That's not really fair, now is it?" Caroline asked and he laughed.

"I told you I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if it pisses you off." Damon replied.

"You're a high handed jackass." She mumbled and he smirked at her.

"But you knew that." He replied and Seth laughed despite the situation that had just happened. "Anyway, if I died the compulsion would wear off." He shrugged and both Seth and Caroline gasped.

"Don't say stuff like that!" Caroline yelled at him.

"It's the truth though." He shrugged.

"I hate that I can't compel you to not do anything that might get you killed." She huffed and he laughed.

"It would be worth it to keep you safe." He shrugged and she smacked his arm from the backseat.

"I'm so going to kick your ass." She warned and he smirked at her.

"Yes, dear." He said and Seth laughed.

* * *

><p>The three of them arrived at Tyler's hotel suite and Damon knocked on the door. Tyler opened and his eyes widened.<p>

"Uh... hey... what are you doing here?" Tyler asked.

"Can we come in?" Damon asked cocking an eyebrow and Tyler nodded and stepped out of the way. The three of them went into the suite. "I hate hotels but I have to say, this is a nice suite." Damon nodded as he looked around.

"Uh... thanks?" Tyler replied.

"How's your control?" Damon asked him curiously.

"Much better." Tyler nodded.

"Take more of my blood." Damon shrugged. "That way, you can start actually living instead of being holed up here." He said and Tyler looked confused.

"Don't get mad, but you can already find me, why would you do that for me?" Tyler asked and Damon smirked.

"Stop worrying so much, Lockwood. I was pissed at first about you being a vampire but now that you are one, you might as well enjoy it. My blood will help you with that." He shrugged. "Not only that, but having my blood a few times will make you immune to a werewolf bite." He shrugged. "Your pack might get pissed if they find out you switched sides." Damon pointed out.

"Uh... okay." Tyler said. Damon took off his jacket and bit into his wrist and held it up in front of Tyler. Tyler looked at him sceptically and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Hurry up before it heals." Damon said and Tyler didn't need to be told twice. Caroline and Seth watched in mixed confusion and disbelief at what was going on in front of them. Damon stared out the window as Tyler drank from him. Tyler looked like he was about to stop. "Keep going, the bigger the dose, the more years you age." Damon said and Tyler nodded and kept drinking. Then Damon's phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket with his spare hand and saw it was Klaus. He rolled his eyes at his friend's timing but answered anyway.

"Sunt cu soţia mea şi fostul lup." Damon said in Romanian. _(I'm with my wife and the former wolf.)_

"_Am__vedea. __Avem__nevoie__pentru a merge__la __Rusia__.__Vampirii __meu__nu__cred__că__fraţii__mei sunt__implicate__, dar__sunt __prea__multe__în __grup__în __Rusia__pentru__a cestea să fie__luate__fără implicarea__noastră._" Klaus replied and Tyler stopped drinking from Damon's wrist. Damon walked over to the window and looked sadly out at the city as he understood what Klaus was really saying. _(I see. We need to go to Russia. My vampires don't think that my siblings are involved but there are too many in the group in Russia for them to be taken out without our involvement.)_

"Când plecăm? Voi zbura private si alege tu sus ." Damon replied. _(When do we leave? I'll fly private and pick you up.)_

"_Cât mai curând __posibil__._" Klaus said urgently. _(As soon as possible.)_

"Voi primi lucruri avut grijă de aici şi voi zbura în seara asta. Te voi suna reveni cu detalii de când am teren în Amsterdam, de îndată ce ştiu." Damon nodded. _(I'll get things taken care of here and I'll fly out tonight. I will call you back with details of when I land in Amsterdam as soon as I know.)_

"_Thank you._" Klaus said and Damon smirked.

"See you soon." Damon nodded then hung up. He turned around and Caroline's face was one of pure fear. Seth looked confused and Tyler seemed to be unsure of what to think about anything.

"You're leaving." Caroline said in despair and Damon smiled sadly.

"I have to." He replied and she burst into tears and ran to him and hugged him. "Don't worry, my sweet, Bonnie will keep you safe here." Damon replied. "But if you need to go to Mystic Falls, she has to go with you and you have to keep under the radar. You can't be seen there. I'd rather you didn't go at all though." He said as he rubbed her back.

"When are you leaving?" She asked as she pulled away.

"Tomorrow." He lied. He couldn't risk her following him. "Lockwood, after that amount, you shouldn't be overly tempted by human blood anymore." He said.

"Thanks." Tyler nodded and Damon smirked.

"I need to compel you." Damon said and Tyler's eyes bugged.

"You can do that? Why do you need to compel me?" He asked.

"For Barbie's safety." Damon replied and Tyler looked surprised but nodded anyway. Damon walked over to him and looked him in the eyes. "You will forget all about me being a hybrid, you never had my blood, you just have really good control, must be because you were a werewolf first, that's how you're immune to a werewolf bite, from now on you cannot be compelled by anyone except me or Klaus and you will forget I compelled you." Damon compelled. "Is that clear?" Damon asked.

"It's clear." Tyler replied slack jawed. Damon turned his head to look at Seth and Caroline.

"Let's go." Damon nodded towards the door. "Later Lockwood." Damon smirked then walked out the door. Caroline and Seth waved at him and it was obvious Tyler was confused as to what was going on.

* * *

><p>The three of them walked into Bonnie's apartment and Seth went over to kiss her cheek. They'd all agreed that it would be better if she didn't know about Sydney.<p>

"Where have you guys been?" She asked curiously and Damon shrugged.

"I had to go compel Lockwood." He replied.

"Why?" She asked curiously.

"He can't know what I am." Damon replied.

"Did Klaus order that?" Bonnie asked surprised and Damon chuckled.

"Do I look like I take orders?" Damon asked and she giggled. "Seth, you're up." Damon said and Seth nodded and came to stand in front of Damon. Bonnie watched confused as she didn't know what was going on. "From this point you cannot be compelled by anyone except me." Damon compelled.

"I cannot be compelled by anyone except you." Seth replied in a daze then Damon released the compulsion. "Wow... That feels weird." Seth chuckled and Damon smirked.

"I know, right?" Damon said. "Barbie?" He turned his head and Caroline stood in front of him. "From this point on you cannot be compelled by anyone except Klaus and me." Damon compelled.

"I cannot be compelled by anyone except Klaus and you." She replied under compulsion and Damon released her.

"What are you doing?" Bonnie asked confused.

"I'm keeping them safe." Damon smirked. "C'mon, Judgy." He cocked his head.

"You're not compelling me." Bonnie replied crossing her arms and he laughed.

"So, you would be okay with an Original finding you and compelling you to do spells with the power you have access to? Or give them information about us?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and her resolve wavered.

"I'll drink vervain." She said and Damon smirked.

"I didn't want to do this but if you don't let me do it willingly, I'll do it by force." Damon said to her and her jaw dropped.

"Damon." Caroline chastised.

"I told you I would do anything to keep you safe." Damon said to Caroline and Bonnie huffed but stood in front of Damon anyway.

"If you compel something stupid, I'll find a way to kill you." Bonnie warned and Damon chuckled.

"Thanks for the idea." Damon winked and she was about to turn away so Damon looked into her eyes and compelled her. "From now on you cannot be compelled by anyone except me, is that understood?" Damon asked.

"It's understood." Bonnie replied in a daze and Damon smirked and let her go.

"I really should have compelled you to be nicer to me." Damon pointed out and she glared at him.

"Why am I the only one that can be compelled by Klaus?" Caroline asked confused.

"Because Seth will listen to me if I ask him to not do something that will get him killed." Damon pointed out. "So he doesn't need the backup option." Damon said. "And Judgy doesn't trust Klaus." Damon shrugged. "You do trust Klaus, though. And I know he would never let any harm come to you." Damon explained.

"Fine." Caroline crossed her arms over her chest.

"So where exactly are you going?" Seth asked worriedly. He'd been worried since Caroline's reaction to the news Damon was leaving.

"You know I can't tell you that." Damon smirked at him and Caroline sighed.

"You'll keep me updated, right?" She asked for confirmation and he smiled at her.

"I'll call you after the slaughter." Damon nodded with a smirk.

"What slaughter?" Bonnie's eyes bugged.

"Yeah, you haven't really gone into detail." Caroline crossed her arms and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Okay, but just let me finish before you panic." Damon warned.

"Why would I panic?" She yelled. "Oh, yeah! That's right! My husband is going god knows where to do god knows what and may or may not survive! Why the hell would I panic?" She yelled and Damon laughed.

"Stop being dramatic." Damon smirked and she glared at him.

"This isn't funny!" She yelled.

"Fine, I won't tell you then." Damon shrugged and she gaped at him then sat down on the couch and took a deep breath.

"I'm calm now." She said and he chuckled.

"Apparently someone is creating a vampire army, we are the target and Klaus and I are going to take them out." Damon replied and all three of their jaws dropped.

"YOU ARE DOING WHAT?" Caroline yelled.

"Your vampire hearing not working?" Damon asked amused and she stood up and started pacing the room. "Barbie, just relax." Damon rolled his eyes.

"How can I relax?" She yelled then started to cry. "Please, don't go! It could be a trap!" She pleaded and he sighed.

"How many constitutes an army?" Seth asked hesitantly as he didn't want to alarm Caroline anymore than she already was.

"Not too many." Damon shrugged.

"How many!" Caroline yelled.

"Do you see now why I don't talk to you about this stuff?" Damon asked in a bored tone.

"How many!" She exclaimed.

"So far it's only about 100 but the longer we leave..." Damon started.

"A HUNDRED! A HUNDRED VAMPIRES!" She shrieked and he rubbed his ears.

"I understand you're upset, my sweet, but please, my ears are going to bleed if you do that again." He complained and she glared at him.

"You and Klaus are going to go up against a hundred vampires all alone?" She cried and he sighed.

"Most of them are newly turned, it won't be a problem." Damon shrugged.

"And what if all the Originals are there with all these vampires?" Caroline asked. "What are you going to do then?" She exclaimed.

"Kill them." Damon shrugged.

"And what if they have witches that undo you being a hybrid? Then you won't be strong enough to kill them!" She exclaimed though tears were blinding her.

"Then it's a good thing they don't know that I'm a hybrid." Damon smirked and Caroline looked at him in disbelief. She thought it was like he didn't care. She raced into her room and took out a vervain dart and ran back into the room and stuck it in his arm.

"You can't go if I don't let you." She said and he smiled at her with all the love he had for her then pulled the dart out of his arm.

"It doesn't work anymore, my love." He said to her softly and she burst into more tears. He stood up and pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back. "It'll be fine. You know you're going to be kicking yourself when I come back without a scratch and you think back to what a hysterical drama queen you're being right now." He pointed out and Seth tried not to laugh thought he was worried too. Caroline pulled away and stared him straight in the face. If she had to resort to this then that was just the way it was.

"Damon, if you leave with Klaus, we're done." She said to him and Bonnie and Seth's jaws dropped and they were stunned when Damon started to laugh.

"Is that so?" He asked amused.

"It is." She replied and he rolled his eyes.

"Caroline?" He said.

"What?" She asked him shakily.

"You wouldn't stick to that for more than five minutes." He chuckled and she glared at him.

"I mean it." She said to him and he stroked her cheek.

"No, you don't." He said to her then kissed her passionately and of course she kissed back. "You really want that to be your last kiss with me?" Damon smirked. He knew she was just trying to get him to stay.

"Then don't go and it won't be." She said though she knew herself that she would never stick to that for more than five minutes either.

"Does this mean I'm not getting laid before I go?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and Seth and Bonnie laughed.

"You're really still going to go?" She asked in disbelief and he chuckled.

"I am." He nodded then decided to use her own tactics against her. "But if you really mean that you don't want to be together when I get back, I guess I don't have to be as careful then since I don't want to live without you." Damon said sadly and Seth smirked, knowing what he was doing. "I'll have no reason to come back." Damon said with a sigh and her jaw dropped.

"I didn't mean it!" Caroline exclaimed and Damon laughed.

"I know." Damon winked and she slapped his arm as hard as she could.

"You're such an ass!" She yelled and he laughed.

"You knew that though." He pointed out and Seth and Bonnie laughed.

"You have to promise to be careful." She pleaded with him.

"Oh, so you're not breaking up with me?" He cocked an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes.

"You obviously knew that all along!" She exclaimed and he laughed.

"I did." He nodded with a smile. "But I calmed you down, didn't I?" He smirked and she sighed.

"I suppose." She huffed. "You know just how to annoy me to death." She quipped and Bonnie and Seth laughed.

"It's a husband's job to annoy his wife." Damon winked.

"Oh yeah?" She asked amused. "So what's the wife's job then?" She asked and he smirked. She was so going to slap him.

"To be an angel in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom." He replied and she smacked his arm again causing him to laugh. "Kidding." He winked.

"Jackass." She said and he smirked.

"I love you." He said in a mock innocent tone.

"Yeah? Well, I don't love you right now." She pointed to him and he smirked and dramatically covered his heart with his hands.

"And those will be the last words I'll ever hear." He teased and her face screwed up a little as tears started to brim again and she burst into tears. "I was just kidding." Damon said wide eyed and hugged her again. "You women have no sense of humour." He said as she sobbed.

"I'm sorry that I can't joke about your death!" She exclaimed through her tears.

"Can we go knock boots now?" Damon asked and Seth chuckled.

"Can't you be serious about this for five minutes?" Caroline pulled away to look at him and her expression was one of pure despair. Damon sighed then pulled her over to sit next to him on the couch.

"Okay." Damon nodded. "I'll be brutally honest with you then." Damon said and her eyes widened. "We don't know what we're walking into. We don't know if we will survive this because we don't know if the Originals are involved or not." Damon admitted. "I had a talk with Stefan after I killed the Original in Mystic Falls and I've put all my affairs in order in case I'm killed at some point... he knows where all the details are kept and he'll help you get access to all of that if I die since it's all yours." Damon explained and Caroline, Seth and Bonnie all looked at him in mixed disbelief and sorrow. The fact Damon was saying this meant he truly wasn't sure if he would come back. "Stefan will take care of you as will Klaus if something happens to me." Damon explained. "I've written letters to everyone that matters and if something happens, I need to you give them out." He said and tears rolled down her face. "Can you do that for me?" Damon asked her softly and she nodded. "God, I love you." He stroked her face then kissed her deeply. He pulled away and checked his phone. He had to get going.

"I love you so much." She cried and he smiled.

"Forgive me." He said to her and her eyes widened with the realisation that he was going to do something.

"No." She gasped trying to stop him then he compelled her.

"You will not follow me, you'll make sure you stay safe because Viktor needs you, if something happens to me you'll be sad for a little while but you'll move on with your life." Damon compelled and he blinked as he held back the tears that threatened to fall. This could be the last time he ever saw her. "Now, go to sleep Caroline, you'll wake up in a few hours." He compelled and she slumped forward into his arms and he just held her for a minute then picked her up and took her into the room she was staying in. He tucked her into the bed and put the letters under his pillow. He wiped his eyes, took a last look at her from the door then closed it. "I need to get going." Damon said to Seth and Bonnie who were wiping their own tears away.

"This can't be it, man." Seth said in disbelief and Damon smiled sadly at him.

"I just have a feeling on this one. But don't tell Barbie that." Damon nodded and Seth walked up to him and hugged him tightly. "I feel honoured to have met you, Seth." Damon said and Seth sobbed.

"You never call me, Seth." He replied as he pulled away.

"Slip of the tongue." Damon replied as he attempted to smirk but it failed.

"Damon? Please try to be safe." Bonnie replied as she went to him.

"Careful, Bonnie, you almost sound like you care." Damon smiled at her fondly and she hugged him tightly. Damon heard her whisper some Latin words as she held him. "What was that?" He asked her curiously.

"Hopefully it'll help." She replied and he smiled gratefully at her.

"Take care of my girl." Damon said then he was gone.


	13. Memories

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 13

* * *

><p>Caroline opened her eyes with a start, jumped out of bed and went into the living room. Bonnie and Seth were sitting watching a movie but she could see that they weren't really paying attention to it from the dazed look on their faces.<p>

"Where is he?" Caroline exclaimed and both their expressions saddened.

"He left, Care." Bonnie replied and she burst into tears.

"What happened? The last thing I remember is him asking me to forgive him." She sobbed and slumped down on the couch.

"He compelled you to fall asleep." Seth said sadly.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Caroline sobbed. "Just sit here and wait for news?" She put her face in her hands and Seth went over to her and pulled her into his lap and held her tightly.

"He'll be okay, Cookie. You know how tough he is." Seth said to her soothingly.

"I can't stay in New York." She shook her head. "I need to go home." She replied shakily.

"Mystic Falls?" Seth asked her softly and she shook her head. "Amsterdam?" He asked and she nodded.

"Then let's get you home, Cookie." Seth said and Bonnie's eyes widened. Damon would be pissed at them for taking Caroline to Amsterdam.

"Damon wants you to stay here." Bonnie replied.

"I can't just sit here and wait. I need Stefan. I need to call Stefan." She said then pulled her phone out from her pocket and dialled 2 on her speed dial.

"_Hey._" Stefan answered.

"Stefan?" Caroline asked between sobs.

"_What happened?_" Stefan asked on alert.

"Damon and Nicky took off to take on a vampire army." She replied as she hiccupped from the crying.

"_They did what?_" Stefan exclaimed.

"He compelled me to fall asleep so I didn't see him leave." Caroline replied.

"_Fuck. That's why Klaus left early! He lied!_" Stefan exclaimed.

"What are we going to do?" She asked him shakily.

"_We need to go home._" Stefan replied.

"Maybe they don't think it's safe at home." Caroline cried. "Think about it. Damon left me here and Klaus left you two in Ireland." She said and Stefan huffed.

"_I don't care. I'm going home, Caroline. Are you coming?_" He asked her and she nodded.

"I'll be there tomorrow." She replied.

"_Call me back with your flight details and I'll pick you up at the airport._" He said.

"Stefan... Damon admitted he might die. They don't know what they're walking into." Caroline whispered and she heard Stefan gasp.

"_The Originals._" He said and she sobbed.

"Exactly." She said.

"_Is that why Klaus compelled us to be resistant to other compulsion?_" Stefan asked emotionally and Caroline sobbed hysterically.

"Damon did it too!" She exclaimed.

"_Just come home, Care. We'll figure it out together._" Stefan said and Caroline could tell from his voice that he was holding back his own tears.

"I'm coming." She said then hung up.

"I'm coming with you." Bonnie assured her.

"You don't have to do that." Caroline said though that thought comforted her.

"Damon's last request was that I look after you and I'm going to." Bonnie nodded.

"I love you, Bon." Caroline said as she was grateful for her best friend.

"I love you too, Care." Bonnie replied. Bonnie was terrified that Damon wouldn't come back because her best friend would never be able to cope with that.

* * *

><p>Damon arrived into Amsterdam airport in the jet and he didn't even get off it. Klaus knew to be there for when it landed. The plane was only refuelling then taking off again. The flight had been unbearably long for Damon, considering he was flying away from his love, possibly never to see her again. He sat drinking an expensive bottle of bourbon from a crystal tumbler and when they landed he poured another glass for Klaus. Klaus boarded the plane not long after it landed and he sat across from Damon silently and took a drink out of the glass that Damon handed him.<p>

"Did you see Zara before you came?" Damon asked him absently as he stared out of the window.

"I spent all of last night with her." Klaus nodded. "How was Caroline?" He asked concerned.

"A mess." Damon replied. "I had to compel her." Damon said sadly.

"You didn't give her any details though." Klaus said for confirmation.

"No." Damon shook his head. "Any updates?" Damon asked.

"My brother Philip was seen." Klaus said and Damon nodded.

"Think the army is a diversion tactic?" Damon asked.

"I think they know I will come and the army is to keep my busy while they put some kind of spell on me." Klaus replied.

"What's the plan then?" Damon asked.

"I was thinking that I would play right into their hands from one side and you surprise them by going the other way." Klaus replied.

"You trust me that much?" Damon asked curiously and Klaus chuckled humourlessly.

"Damon, you are arrogant, you tease me mercilessly and sometimes I want to smack that awful smirk off your face." Klaus said and Damon smirked just to annoy him. "But you are the best friend I could have ever hoped for and I trust you with my life." Klaus said and Damon smiled despite the situation they were getting into.

"I never told you what we're naming our second son, did I?" Damon asked and Klaus shook his head. "Stefan Klaus Salvatore." Damon replied and Klaus' jaw dropped.

"You are?" He asked in disbelief.

"You're the big brother I never had." Damon said and Klaus felt himself get a little emotional. "And I'll have your back for as long as I live." Damon nodded. "Even if that means I have to kill all of the Originals to do it." Damon said.

"The family we've created with Caroline and Stefan means more to me than my blood siblings ever did." Klaus said and Damon smirked then held up his glass.

"If I have to die tonight, I'm honoured it will be by your side." Damon said and Klaus clinked his glass with Damon's.

"The honour's mine." Klaus replied.

* * *

><p>Damon and Klaus arrived into Cherepovets Airport a little over three hours later. The wooded area they were heading to was maybe an hour's drive North of the airport, though they were going on foot after first dark. They headed to a quiet little hotel near the airport and compelled a room so they could meet with the vampires Klaus had asked to help. When they were finally alone, Damon broke their silence.<p>

"Take some of my blood. I need to be able to sense you." Damon said to Klaus and Klaus was surprised that he hadn't thought of it himself.

"If you drink mine at the same time, we will form a bond. We will be able to speak to each other telepathically." Klaus suggested and Damon nodded. That could be useful. He held his wrist up and Klaus bit into it just as he bit into Klaus' own wrist. They drank for a few moments and after a few good mouthfuls, they both pulled away and healed immediately.

"We need to feed well before we go." Damon reminded him.

"We can feed just before we leave then. We'll need all the strength we can get." Klaus agreed.

"How many vampires are coming to help?" Damon asked.

"23." Klaus replied and Damon nodded.

"What ages are they?"

"Between 100 and 500 years old, so they shall be able to take out newly turned vampires without difficulty." Klaus replied.

"When do we split up then?" Damon asked.

"As soon as we start spotting vampires." Klaus shrugged. "My siblings will be able to sense my presence so you must be on the opposite side if we are to flank them." Klaus said.

"The most important thing is to take out any witches first." Damon said though he knew Klaus knew that.

"Yes, my siblings cannot kill us without a witch." Klaus agreed. "Do you wish to call Caroline?" He asked and Damon smiled.

"If I speak to her... I might not be able to go through with this." Damon replied and Klaus smiled.

"If anything happens to you, I am sure she will try to kill me." Klaus replied and Damon chuckled.

"Yes, because beating you up with her little vampire Barbie fists will have such an impact on your hybrid ass." Damon smirked and Klaus laughed.

"You do have a way with words." Klaus smirked. "If anything happens to me, will you take care of my children?" Klaus asked and Damon smiled.

"Of course." Damon smiled. "Will you do the same?" Damon asked.

"You know I will." Klaus nodded.

"Let's try not to die though... I didn't get laid before I left." Damon said and Klaus laughed and nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>Caroline, Bonnie and Seth had left New York a couple of hours after Damon did. They arrived in Amsterdam the following morning, about the same time Damon and Klaus arrived in Russia – though they didn't know that. Caroline took Damon's things with her because she refused to accept any other scenario than he was coming home to her. Caroline hustled Bonnie and Seth out of the plane, compelled their luggage and hurried out to the arrivals lounge. She almost raced to Stefan at vampire speed when she saw him and jumped into his arms.<p>

"That was quick, your flight only landed ten minutes ago." Stefan pointed out when she let go.

"Well, Damon has a point when it comes to compulsion." She replied then hugged Ric. Bonnie and Stefan hugged when she finally made it over.

"You must be, Seth." Stefan smiled at him and they shook hands.

"You must be, Stefan." Seth smiled back. "I've heard a lot about you." He said and Stefan looked surprised. "And you must be, Ric." Seth said as he shook Alaric's hand.

"We've heard a lot about you too. Damon actually admits to liking you." Alaric smiled and Seth laughed.

"Well, he better get his hybrid ass back here in one piece." Seth smirked and Alaric and Stefan blinked in surprise.

"Let's go, I don't want to be in this airport for another second." Caroline said and dragged Seth towards the car park. The other three followed. Stefan drove them back to Damon and Caroline's house and they all piled in.

"The house is beautiful, Care." Bonnie said in awe as they walked in.

"It feels good to be home." Caroline nodded. "Seth, your room is down that hall." She pointed and he went down the hall and into the room. He came back out moments later looking startled.

"What a room, Cookie." Seth smiled at her.

"Glad you like it." She smiled back but they could all see her smile didn't meet her eyes. "Bon, you can bunk with me since we don't have a room for you sorted out yet. Stefan, can you stay here with us until they get back?" She asked him.

"I'll stay." He nodded.

"Thanks." She smiled.

"Anyone want a drink?" Stefan asked. "Caroline, you look like you could use one." Stefan said and she nodded.

"Thanks, Stef." She said softly.

"Cosmo?" He asked her and her eyes widened.

"No!" She exclaimed and he looked startled. "Damon makes me cosmos. I'll just have something else." She said embarrassed from her outburst and Stefan hugged her.

"Don't worry, he'll be back." Stefan rubbed her back.

"He fucking better, Stefan." She said and she felt her eyes well up with tears again.

"He will." Stefan nodded then there was a knock at the door. Caroline let go of him then opened it.

"Jeff?" She asked confused at the sight of the door guy from the hotel.

"Mrs Salvatore, what are you doing here?" He asked her wide eyed.

"Do you know where they went?" She asked ignoring his question.

"I'm sorry, I cannot reveal their location." Jeff said sadly. "But Klaus asked that I keep watch in case any of you came home. It is not safe for you to be here." Jeff said urgently.

"I'm not leaving my home until Damon gets back." She said stoically and his face changed to one of sympathy which only made her eyes widen. "What do you know? Please, Jeff. I don't know what's going on." She pleaded and he sighed.

"I wish I could tell you, Mrs Salvatore, but Klaus compelled me to make sure I wouldn't." He said to her and her tears broke.

"It's bad, isn't it?" She asked him but he didn't reply. "You can't answer that?" She asked him and he didn't reply again... The compulsion was stopping him. "What can you tell me?" She asked him.

"I will let you know when I hear from Klaus." Jeff promised her then disappeared. The five of them settled in on the couches and it wasn't five minutes later when Stefan's phone rang.

"Hello?" Stefan answered as there was no number.

"_What the hell are you doing in Amsterdam?_" Damon yelled at him.

"Damon, where are you? What are you doing?" Stefan asked concerned.

"_Stefan, you need to get Caroline out of there!_" Damon snapped.

"Why? What's going on? We aren't leaving until you tell us why." Stefan replied.

"_I swear to god Stefan, if any harm comes to her because you didn't listen to me I'll fucking kill all of you, got it?_" Damon replied harshly and Stefan's eyes widened.

"Stefan, let me talk to him." Caroline pleaded.

"_Don't put her on the phone, Stef. Just get her the fuck out of there, now._" Damon said then hung up before Stefan could reply.

"I'm not leaving." Caroline said to Stefan. "You should take Ric, Seth and Bonnie somewhere safe though." Caroline added.

"I'm staying if you're staying." Bonnie said to her.

"Me too." Seth said.

"Same." Ric replied and Stefan sighed.

"No vampires can enter the house." Stefan said after he thought about it. "We'll be okay. There's the tunnel to Klaus' house if we need to get out of here anyway." Stefan said and Caroline nodded.

"So we're all staying?" Caroline asked.

"We're staying." Stefan nodded.

* * *

><p>Damon was still pacing the hotel room an hour after his phone call to Stefan.<p>

"Jeff says they haven't left. He's calling a few of my vampires to surround the area and watch for trouble." Klaus reassured Damon.

"What if this is a diversion and they are really going after them?" Damon asked alarmed.

"Don't take this the wrong way, my friend, but to my siblings, they pose no threat. We do. I highly doubt that they would cause all of this trouble just to take out two young vampires, two humans and a witch." Klaus replied and Damon stopped pacing.

"You're right." Damon nodded.

"Damon, for tonight, I need you to forget about them all. I need you focused on the battle." Klaus said soothingly.

"I will be." Damon replied then sat down. "Hurry up, sun and go down already. I don't do waiting well." He huffed and Klaus laughed.

"I brought something with us that will speed things up a bit." Klaus smirked then brought out two long boxes. Damon looked at them curiously until Klaus opened one then he chuckled.

"A samurai sword?" Damon exclaimed. "Fuck yeah." He smirked.

"You know what they say... a headless vampire is a dead vampire." Klaus replied and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Dude, nobody says that." Damon replied.

* * *

><p>"So we're just going to sit here?" Caroline asked in disbelief. They'd been home for almost four hours and they'd just sat on the couches doing nothing.<p>

"Caroline, Klaus' vampires won't tell us anything. How are we supposed to find them? Damon and Klaus have switched off their mobile phones so it's not even like we could go compel the police station to track them." He said and she huffed.

"What about the airport?" She asked.

"Klaus compelled everyone at the areas we could find out not to tell us anything. His compulsion overrides mine." Stefan replied. "I checked."

"There must be something they overlooked." She mumbled.

"Caroline? When's the last time you fed? You're looking really pale." Stefan said to her and she sighed.

"I don't remember." She replied. "Wait – it was when Damon and I went shopping. I snacked on a waitress." She said and Seth chuckled.

"When was that?" Stefan asked her and she thought about it.

"A few days ago." She replied and Stefan looked surprised.

"I'll get you some blood." Stefan said.

"I don't want any." She replied absently.

"If you don't, Seth and Ric will start to look appetising." Stefan warned and she sighed dramatically.

"Fine." She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Stefan disappeared and reappeared moments later with a black mug full of blood so the non-vampires wouldn't have to see it. Caroline downed it then handed back the mug. "Thanks." She said though she didn't sound thankful.

"Stefan, what I don't understand about this... you have the strength of an Original now, why wouldn't they take you with them?" Ric asked confused.

"Because he can still be killed by a stake." Caroline answered automatically. "Originals can't."

"True." Stefan nodded.

"Are you going to become a hybrid too?" Bonnie asked him and he shook his head.

"Damon refuses to do it for me and that's why Klaus won't do it either." Stefan replied.

"But wouldn't it be helpful if they made you one?" Bonnie asked and Stefan nodded.

"It would, but Damon hates it so much that he doesn't want me to go through what he's going through." Stefan replied. "He wants to be a vampire again more than anything." Stefan added.

"Do you like being a vampire?" Seth asked curiously.

"I used to want to be human more than anything until we relocated here. Now, I wouldn't have my life any other way." Stefan replied honestly. "Damon says that you want to turn."

"Yeah." Seth nodded. "Though D Man was majorly pissed that he can't be the one to turn me." Seth replied.

"I'll turn you, if you want." Caroline shrugged and Seth smiled at her.

"Sure thing, Cookie." Seth smiled. "Is that Tyler guy the first person you turned?" He asked curiously and she nodded.

"Yeah, I've only been a vampire for less than a year." She shrugged.

"You know about that?" Stefan asked surprised and Caroline laughed.

"Damon tells him _everything_." Caroline replied. "I swear Seth knows more about Damon than I do." She said and both Ric and Stefan looked stunned.

"Would I be overstepping if I asked to see a picture of Katherine or Elena?" Seth asked and Stefan's jaw dropped.

"Why do you want to see a picture of them?" Bonnie asked curiously and Seth chuckled.

"From what Damon told me, practically everyone they ever met fell for them, I want to see what the big deal is." He shrugged and Caroline, Bonnie and Ric laughed. Stefan just looked stunned.

"I'll go get the photo album, sweetie." Caroline giggled then raced up the stairs and brought it down. She sat down next to Seth and flipped a few pictures to pictures from the 60s dance. She found one of Bonnie and Elena. "That's Elena." She pointed and Seth nodded. "So what do you think?" She smirked and Seth laughed.

"No offense, she's pretty and all but I'd pick Bonnie over her any day." Seth smirked and Bonnie blushed.

"Aww, you're too cute." Caroline grinned at him.

"Who's that preppy dude?" Seth asked and Caroline laughed.

"That's my ex, Matt." Caroline replied.

"That's Tyler's on/off best friend right?" Seth asked Caroline and she laughed.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Why did Damon tell you that?" She asked curiously and Seth chuckled.

"Because he wants to kill him." Seth replied amused and they all stared at him surprised.

"Why?" Caroline asked confused.

"Damon said that when you guys went back to Mystic Falls after the cruise, he was a dick to you." He explained and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Damon's a little gossip." She said and Ric and Stefan laughed.

"Nah, he only tells me stuff about him." Seth shrugged.

"He told you that he attacked me." Bonnie countered and Seth nodded.

"Well, about stuff he's done too. Am I like the only one of you guys he hasn't killed or tried to kill?" Seth asked and they all laughed.

"Yeah, basically." Caroline nodded with a smirk.

"Only he could be forgiven for that." Seth smirked.

"It's cool. Besides me, everyone else has tried to kill him too." Caroline giggled. "Even my mom."

"Yeah, but you saved him and Stefan that time in the Lockwood property, right?" Seth asked.

"He really does tell you everything." Stefan said in disbelief. "Has he told you anything from when he was human?" Stefan asked.

"Well, he told Cookie, Bonnie and I some stories while we were in New York." Seth smirked.

"That doesn't sound good." Stefan replied sceptically and they laughed.

"Well, we found out how you got a few nicknames he uses for you." Caroline grinned and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"What did he tell you?" Stefan asked cautiously.

"Do the nicknames Froggy, Long John's and Penny ring a bell?" Caroline giggled and Stefan sighed.

"He's like a fucking Elephant." Stefan replied and they all laughed.

"You know what would be a good revenge Stefan?" Caroline asked amused. "If you told us some embarrassing stories about him." She pointed out and Stefan smirked.

"I can do that." Stefan grinned. "Let's see..." He thought then laughed. "He'll kill me for telling you this... but did you all know that he has really curly hair?" Stefan asked amused and all their jaws dropped.

"But how? I've seen him come out of the shower." Caroline said and Stefan chuckled.

"He gets it professionally straightened every month or so." Stefan said and they all burst into hysterics.

"No way!" Caroline giggled.

"You have no idea how pissed off he'll be when he finds out I told you that." Stefan grinned. "It looks so funny when it's curly too." He smirked. "What else?" Stefan asked as he thought then laughed. "When he was thirteen, he walked around town one day, the whole day, with a brass teapot on his head." Stefan said and they all laughed loudly.

"Why?" Ric asked in disbelief.

"Why does he ever do anything?" Stefan asked. "Because he was bored." He replied and they laughed.

"He really isn't all there, is he?" Caroline giggled and Stefan smiled.

"Damon definitely marches to his own drum beat." Stefan grinned.

"This is great." Caroline smiled. "Tell me more." She said and Stefan laughed.

"Okay." Stefan nodded. "One night in the middle of the night, Damon came into my room, I think he would have been about fifteen at the time, he told me that he was sure someone was robbing the house so we both crept down the stairs and we had candlesticks as weapons... We heard where the noise was coming from and tiptoed into the room and Damon swung his candle stick and bonked the person on the head. The person fell on the floor and passed out then he put the lights on. It turned out that it was our father." Stefan chuckled. "Damon freaked out that he'd hit our father so he went and broke the door on purpose then got me to punch him in the face so that it looked like there was a struggle. When my father woke up, Damon told him this long winded courageous story about how a robber hit our father on the head and Damon and I scared him away." Stefan sniggered. "So of course it backfired. Our father freaks out and goes and gets the Sheriff up out of his bed then gets everyone in the area out to scour the woods for this mystery robber. Damon and I had to go too since we were the ones that were supposed to have seen him. We searched all night and Damon got really bored so he rolled his eyes and turned to our father in front of the Sheriff and all the council members and said, 'I've had enough of this now, you are clearly too dramatic for your own good. I'm the one that hit you on the head and broke the door. Can we stop this nonsense now and go to sleep?'" Stefan laughed and the rest of them burst into hysterics. "Then the Sheriff arrested him." Stefan chuckled and they laughed.

"So he really didn't change much, did he?" Ric laughed.

"He's always been kind of ridiculous." Stefan chuckled.

"Didn't you explain?" Caroline asked amused.

"Yeah but nobody believed that I punched him." Stefan shrugged.

"Why not?" Bonnie asked.

"Anything I ever did, Damon said he did it so I wouldn't get in trouble." Stefan replied sadly.

"Didn't you tell the truth?" Ric asked and Stefan nodded.

"I always admitted it was me but father would punish him for it anyway." Stefan replied.

"Why?" Caroline asked confused.

"His excuse was that if I was telling the truth that meant Damon was lying, so he deserved to be punished for lying." Stefan rolled his eyes. "But the reality of it was that our father just hated Damon."

"What do you mean punished?" Caroline asked hesitantly and Stefan's face looked ashen.

"Father would beat him, either with a belt or wood." Stefan replied quietly and they all gasped except Seth, because he knew all about Guiseppe Salvatore already.

"Oh my god!" Caroline exclaimed.

"He used to do things on purpose just to piss our father off." Stefan said.

"Like what?" Ric asked.

"Lots of things." Stefan shook his head. "Our father kept a lot of slaves, when we were human and Damon worked one summer for the Sheriff and saved every single penny of his earnings, went down to the slave office, bought every single one of my father's slaves and freed them all and gave them money to go North. He did it during the night so our father woke up the next morning and they were just all gone. He went down to the slave office and found out Damon had bought them all and he nearly beat Damon to death for it." Stefan said. "I'm sure he would have killed Damon if the Sheriff hadn't seen him." Stefan explained. "Then my father forced Damon to join the army as his punishment since our father believed it was our right as Southerners to own slaves and Damon had to go and learn that. Damon deserted the army of course but by then, the army trained him and Damon beat the living daylights out of our father when he tried to beat Damon into going back. Our father never tried to harm him again after that because he knew Damon could kill him if he wanted to. So he basically just pretended that Damon didn't exist." Stefan replied sadly. "By then, Katherine had shown up." He shrugged.

"So Damon was against slavery?" Ric asked fascinated.

"Absolutely." Stefan nodded. "He deserted the army to come and get me and take me to the North. He'd made some allies with some of the Northern soldiers and they were going to smuggle us across." Stefan said. "But then we got caught up with Katherine so it didn't happen." Stefan explained.

* * *

><p>Night was just falling and Damon and Klaus were leaving the hotel to feed. They drained two people each then drank from each other again to strengthen the bond until it was time to go meet up with the other vampires. They sped into the woods and met the other vampires then started to make their way North. Damon sent Caroline a text while they were running... against his better judgement, he just had to tell her.<p>

* * *

><p>Stefan was still telling stories about him and Damon when Caroline got Damon's text. She pulled out her phone and saw the text was from him. It took her almost five whole minutes to get up the courage to open it. She finally did.<p>

_We're on our way to the fight now, just in case, know that I love you more than I could ever tell you. I can't wait to come home to you but if I don't, thanks to you, I got my happy ending. Forever yours, Damon_

Caroline read the text and burst into tears. He was telling her goodbye.

"No!" She exclaimed. "You can't say goodbye to me yet!" She cried.


	14. The Fight

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 14

* * *

><p>Stefan went over to Caroline and put his arm around her and she showed him the text.<p>

"We didn't have enough time." Caroline cried into Stefan's shoulder.

"Damon's unbelievably strong, Caroline. He'll be back." Stefan rubbed her back. Stefan couldn't allow himself to believe anything else even though he knew Damon was clearly sceptical if he wasn't being all arrogant about the fight. Stefan couldn't even allow himself the possibility of a different outcome. His world would shatter without his brother.

"Stefan? Can you knock me out somehow? Vervain me or something? I can't handle the stress of this." Caroline said shakily and Stefan chuckled.

"I'll get you a drink to calm your nerves." Stefan said. He decided to focus all his energy and attention on Caroline. That would distract him from thinking too much about Damon.

* * *

><p>Damon and Klaus were running with the other vampires until they came across the first couple. Damon and Klaus stopped and turned to each other while Klaus' vampires killed the enemy vampires.<p>

"This is where we split." Damon said and Klaus nodded.

"You can sense me?" Klaus asked and Damon nodded. "See you soon, brother." Klaus smiled and hugged Damon.

"See you on the other side." Damon smirked and took off to the left alone. Klaus sighed sadly then he and the other vampires took off to the right. They were going to curve back eventually as would Damon. Damon had his samurai sword in his right hand as he moved stealthily through the woods. Klaus and his vampires were all going together since in their large group, they would keep the attention away from Damon, as he was the secret weapon. The vampires with Klaus didn't even know why Damon was taking off alone. Nobody but Klaus knew that Damon was a hybrid. Klaus came across vampires stationed all through the woods but stupidly, they weren't in big groups. They were mainly in twos or threes. Neither Klaus nor Damon actually needed the swords as they could kill vampires with ease. As Damon got deeper into the dark woods alone, he moved slower so as not to make a sound. He couldn't allow any Originals to see him before they saw Klaus or the whole plan would be blown. He could sense Klaus wasn't as deep into the woods as he was yet but could feel he wasn't in any danger so Damon slowed his approach. Soon he came across a group of three young vampires. He had their heads off with his sword before they could even react to his presence.

It baffled Damon somewhat that he wasn't in the least bit afraid to die. He'd lived a long life and though most of it was terrible, the last few months of his life made up for all of it. He had found true happiness with the great love of his life and he had the dearest friends anyone could ask for and it comforted him that if he didn't survive, he would live on in Viktor. Then if Caroline chose to, she could arrange for more children to be born later as they still had 9 fertilised eggs left at the clinic. While he crept through the forest on high alert, his mind wandered to thoughts of Caroline and Viktor. He pictured how his son would look. He imagined a little boy with Caroline's blonde hair, his blue eyes and smirk of course, he wondered if Viktor would be sweet like Caroline or mischievous like him. He thought about all of the wonderful things he had experienced with his wife. He replayed their wedding and all the many supply closets he'd had her in. He thought about how she looked when she slept, that little face she made when she was annoyed that melted his heart, the way she tapped her foot when she was nervous, the way her face would light up when he surprised her, the way he was certain he blushed with mixed embarrassment and delight every time she called him 'babe'... His mind drifted to Stefan and he had a moment of worry. Stefan wouldn't take it well at all if he died. He pushed that thought away quickly as he couldn't be worried about Stefan right now.

Damon could sense Klaus moving quickly again so he sped up a little. He was a bit concerned that he had only come across three vampires when they knew there were at least 100 of them in the woods. He supposed that the Originals could sense where Klaus was and ordered the young vampires to go in that direction. Damon started to drift to the right a little so that he was a bit closer to Klaus.

_How's it going?_ Damon heard Klaus say in his head.

_Well, I'm bored. I've only come across three so far._ Damon replied.

_Seriously? We've had over 80 over here._

_Want me to keep going this way?_ Damon asked.

_Yes, we are nearing my siblings, though I can only feel three of them, two are ahead of me and one is close to you._ Klaus replied.

_How close? Won't the others feel it if I kill him?_ Damon asked.

_Yes. Stay where you are until I reach my siblings. I will tell you when to look for the one close to you._

_How long?_ Damon asked.

_A minute or two._ Klaus replied.

_Got it._ Damon replied and he felt Klaus tune out of his head. Damon lounged against a tree. He hated to wait for things but he couldn't fuck this up if he wanted to go home to his wife. He wasn't there for more than 30 seconds when he was ambushed by a large group of newly turned vampires. He beheaded them with his sword and pulled their hearts out and moments later they were all dead. He counted so he could tell Klaus and there were sixteen dead vampires at his feet. He noticed that although he'd always been lethal, all the training that he'd gotten for hunting was really paying off. His movements were smoother, he thought on his feet faster and they didn't stand a chance. He moved forward a little as he didn't really want to have to look at them if he didn't have to. He felt kind of badly for all these vampires as they were dragged into something that really had nothing to do with them.

Damon went back to thinking as he waited and listened. He noticed that Klaus sounded nervous when he was updating him. That didn't bode well as Klaus wasn't the nervous type. Klaus was cheeky and child-like sometimes – Klaus didn't do nervous usually.

_Damon! Witches everywhere!_ Klaus yelled into Damon's head and Damon took off as fast as he could towards Klaus. He was so focused that he didn't even hear the Original that was closest to him come at him. Before he knew it he was hit hard in the head and he smacked right into a tree. He jumped up and faced the male. He'd kind of been hoping it was Elijah but it wasn't. He looked a bit like Klaus actually but with dark brown hair and a heavier set body than Klaus as Klaus was quite slim.

"Damon Salvatore." The man said surprised.

"And you are?" Damon asked in a bored tone and the man laughed.

"Philip." He replied and Damon nodded.

"Well this was nice and all but I'm kind of on a schedule." Damon smirked and the Original rushed him. Damon dodged the attack and elbowed Philip as he dodged, causing him to smack face first into the ground. Damon pounced on him and pushed his hand full force into Philip's back and pulled out his heart then tossed it aside. The bones in his hand were crushed but he forced the excruciating pain away with that handy hybrid switch, knowing he would likely have to do it again soon. He ran towards Klaus.

_I'm coming._ Damon said to him as he could feel Klaus' distress. He ran as fast as he could until he could hear chanting. He strained his eyesight and he could see maybe ten witches in the distance standing in a circle holding hands with their heads pointing upwards. Perfect he thought. He could hear Klaus scream so he pushed himself to go faster and held up his sword. He sped around the group of witches allowing his speed to be the force needed to sever their heads. They dropped like a Mexican wave, one after the other. Then he turned to see two furious looking female vampires standing on either side of Klaus who was against a tree looking worse for wear but healing. Clearly Damon arrived just in time.

"You'll die for that, Salvatore." One said to him and he smirked. He gathered that the two female vampires were Klaus' sisters.

"We'll see." Damon replied amused. Just then tens of vampires came out behind them from the woods. Damon looked around and noticed for the first time that all of Klaus' vampires were lying dead. Klaus confirmed that there were only two Originals aside from Philip, so the other vampires wouldn't be able to kill him.

"Why are you loyal to Klaus?" The other woman asked and Damon chuckled.

"And what makes you think you have any right to know my business?" Damon asked her and her face grew furious.

"I am an Original, have some respect." She said and Damon laughed harder. He was trying to buy some time for Klaus to be back at full strength as he wouldn't be able to get Klaus out of there while fending off so many vampires that were clearly strong since they'd been able to kill all of Klaus' vampires. Damon's hand was fully healed now.

_There's only so long I can distract them. Are you nearly healed?_ Damon asked Klaus.

_Almost._ He replied.

"And what have you done to earn my respect?" Damon asked as he leaned on his sword.

"Have you no regard for your own life?" The first woman asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Yes, because you are so scary standing over there doing nothing." Damon replied and her face changed in anger.

"You watch your tongue." She warned and he smirked.

"Or what?" He cocked his head to the side and she blurred over to him. Before she could do anything Damon had his left hand in her chest and her eyes widened in shock just before he pulled her heart out. The other Original stared at Damon in horror.

"It's not possible." She said in disbelief as she watched her sister grey on the ground.

"You see the nice thing about having a true friend – I learned this recently, actually..." Damon said as he started to pace casually. "Is that sometimes, you share things." Damon explained to her. "Some friends share clothes – or so I'm told – and some friends even share women. Now Klaus and I on the other hand..." Damon smirked. "He shared his gift with me." Damon revealed and her jaw dropped.

"You are a hybrid?" She asked in disbelief.

"Aren't you a clever little Original?" Damon mocked. It was obvious that she was furious at his comment but she was too afraid to call him on it.

"Then you are able to kill him." She said and he nodded.

"I am." Damon replied. "But that'll never happen." He said to her fiercely.

"He cannot be trusted. He is evil. He will turn on you." She warned and Damon chuckled.

"See, I find that explanation quite amusing because he is the one that is just trying to live his life and you're the one trying to kill him by building a ridiculous army of baby vampires that could do nothing to stop us." Damon pointed out. "How many lives did you take to build up this stupid distraction?" Damon asked her and she blinked in surprise. "As for turning on me, why would he ever make a hybrid that could kill him if he had any intention of turning on me?" Damon asked her and she clearly had no response to that.

"He put daggers in us all." She replied and Damon nodded.

"Why?" Damon asked her and her jaw dropped.

"What do you mean, why?" She asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Why did he put daggers in you all?" He asked. "What were his reasons?"

"We tried to stop him from breaking the curse." She replied and Damon nodded.

"So if you had just left him alone, like he's leaving you alone, you wouldn't have had daggers put in your hearts?" Damon asked her for confirmation.

"We thought he would kill us all." She replied.

"I see." Damon replied. "So, Klaus has been a hybrid for six months now... How many of you has he killed?" Damon asked her bluntly.

"Well..." She replied.

"None." Damon answered her. "Margaret was me." Damon said and she gasped.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because she kidnapped my wife." Damon replied. "I killed Philip because he attacked me. I killed this one because she attacked me. I don't see where Klaus is the bad guy in your little theory." Damon pointed out.

"What do you want?" She asked him seriously and he chuckled.

"What do I want?" Damon asked in disbelief. "I want to be left the fuck alone! I want Klaus to be left the fuck alone! We just want to live our lives peacefully without having to constantly look over our shoulders just because he is who he is!" Damon yelled at her.

"It's true, Charlotte." Klaus said to her softly.

"Though, I will kill Elijah if I ever see him again." Damon warned.

"Why?" She asked and Damon's eyes narrowed.

"Because before Klaus turned me, Elijah thought it would be fun to show his superiority by sticking pencils in my neck. He pissed me off. I want him dead." Damon shrugged and Klaus rolled his eyes. Damon was just not going to let that go. "Anyway, I'm bored with this crap now, Charlotte, was it? What'll be, Lottie? Are you going to fuck off and let us get on with our peaceful existence or are you going to piss me off too?" He cocked his head to the side.

"Let's just go, Damon." Klaus said as he walked towards Damon. Over Klaus' shoulder Damon noticed Charlotte do some kind of hand gesture and a female vampire stepped out from the group behind her. He noticed all the vampires suddenly held hands and two of them touched her shoulders. Everything happened in slow motion for Damon after that. Klaus was walking towards him with his back to Charlotte and the others. Damon's eyes widened as he saw the female vampire's hand reach out and she started to mouth something. Damon watched a surge go through the group and before he could grasp what he was doing he sped forward and turned Klaus around so that his own back was now to the group to block Klaus. That's when he felt the hit. He felt his back rip open as his heart was magically torn out. He still held Klaus' shoulders and looked him in the face and he saw Klaus' eyes widen in disbelief.

"Caroline." Damon whispered then Klaus watched in horror as Damon's eyes became vacant and he slumped forward in Klaus arms.

"No!" Klaus screamed at the top of his lungs as Damon died in his arms. Klaus slumped on the ground as he squeezed Damon in his arms and tears rolled down his face. The tears blinded him as he sobbed into Damon's jacket. Charlotte watched in shock as her brother – the evil one – cried his heart out over the death of his best friend. She couldn't believe that Damon had willingly given up his life for Klaus.

"Klaus?" She said softly as she walked over to him. Then Klaus felt it. He felt the rage building up inside him. He literally saw red as he lay Damon down on the ground and shot up to his feet. Before his sister could say anything else, she was dead. He raced forward to the vampire witch that had killed Damon and ripped her head off. He was like a madman as he rushed all the vampires that stood there and slaughtered every last one of them. Some tried to run but he caught them. He killed every last one of them with the pure adrenaline and fury he felt. Soon, he was covered in blood and he went back to Damon's lifeless body. He saw Damon's heart lying next to his body and it broke him. He looked around and saw corpses upon corpses and the only one that mattered was his best friend in the world. Damon – who had died protecting him. He didn't know how he could return home. He didn't know how he could face Caroline, knowing he was the reason that Damon was dead. Her Damon was truly dead.

Klaus lifted Damon's body and turned him over. He put Damon's heart back in through his back then bit into his wrist and let his blood pour over it. He knew that the corpse would heal closed with his blood, even though Damon was dead. He just couldn't take Damon back to Caroline with no heart. Once the wound closed over, Klaus lifted Damon in his arms and walked back to the hotel next to the airport. He walked slowly, in no rush to do what he had to do. He couldn't believe that there was no Damon Salvatore left in the world and Klaus had never wanted to die before this moment. It took him hours to walk back and the sun was just coming up when he finally made it. He found a funeral parlour and stole a coffin and a car to take the coffin in to the airport. He lay Damon in the coffin and just stared at him.

"Damon, I'm so sorry. You'll never know how sorry." He cried as he held Damon's cold and lifeless hand. He closed the coffin over then lifted it into the car and drove to the airport. The coffin was a plain black coffin without the fancy interior... he thought Damon would like that. When he arrived at the airport he compelled them to put the coffin in the aeroplane where he would be as he could never put Damon in the cargo hold. He cried all the way back on the flight to Amsterdam. He had no idea how to face this. How could he tell not only Caroline but Stefan and Alaric that Damon died saving his life? Klaus knew from his vampires that were surrounding Damon's house that Bonnie was there. Part of him hoped that she would kill him for this because he really didn't think he could live with it. He had killed so many people in his thousand years yet this was the only life that had ever mattered more than his own. If he'd known what Damon was about to do, he would have stopped him. He wouldn't have allowed Damon to die for him. Too soon they landed in Amsterdam and he was a complete mess. He stole a van and put Damon's coffin in the back and drove slowly towards his home. The drive still was way too short for him in all honesty and he apprehensively drove down the slip road that would take him to Damon's house. He knew that they would hear the car coming and sure enough Stefan and Caroline stepped out of the house and stood on the porch as Klaus stopped the car and slowly got out. He kept his back to them for a moment then turned around. Caroline's face fell when she saw the tears that fell from Klaus' eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Caroline." Klaus sobbed and she screamed and fell to the ground.

"No!" She screamed. Stefan burst into tears too and crumpled next to her. Alaric, Seth and Bonnie came out with the noise of the screaming and found Caroline and Stefan gripping on to each other as they shook with sobs then they noticed Klaus and his own heaving chest.

"It can't be." Bonnie whispered and she cried along with Ric and Seth. Soon Stefan stood up and went over to Klaus and hugged him while Bonnie took his place with Caroline. Stefan loved Klaus regardless and didn't want him to feel that it had changed because of Damon's death. Klaus gripped on to Stefan tightly and cried into his shoulder.

"Wh-here... is... he?" Caroline asked through her cries.

"I brought him home." Klaus replied.

"I need to see him." She said then gripped tightly onto Bonnie. Klaus nodded then let go of Stefan and walked to the back of the van. He opened the door then lifted Damon's coffin out easily and they all cried harder at the sight of it. Klaus lifted it inside the house and took it into the living room. They followed him inside though Caroline was practically being carried in by Bonnie because she was so distraught.

"Are you sure you want to see him?" Klaus asked her.

"I need to." She replied and he nodded. He lifted the lid and Caroline shocked them all by speeding over and lifting him out of the coffin. She collapsed on the floor with Damon in her arms and rocked herself back and forth as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Damon!" She cried. "You can't be dead. You can't be. We're not finished yet." She whispered as her tears covered his face. "I love you... please! Please! You need to come back!" She pleaded and Stefan stared at the dead body of his big brother and broke down. He ran out of the house into the woods and fell apart. Caroline stroked Damon's face and wished and prayed that he wasn't really dead. Deep down she knew it wouldn't work but she did it anyway – she bit into her wrist and opened Damon's mouth and allowed the blood to fall down his throat.

"Sweetie." Bonnie said shakily. "He's dead, Caroline." She said.

"No!" Caroline screamed. "He can't be! He can't be!" She pleaded then her wrist healed. This was worse than Klaus could have imagined. He knew it would be the hardest thing he'd ever have to do in his life but this was indescribable. If he could have staked himself in that moment, he would have.

Half an hour later, Caroline was still sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth with Damon in her arms. Her tears hadn't stopped and Bonnie knew that she would never be the same again. It worried her beyond belief as she herself had heard Caroline say that she couldn't live without Damon. Bonnie chanted a few Latin words quietly and watched as Caroline slumped to the floor unconscious.

"What did you do that for?" Seth asked her seriously.

"I need time to think of a way to keep her safe before she decides she can't feel this way anymore and stakes herself." Bonnie replied.

"Good thinking, Bonnie." Ric said to her in a daze. He walked forward and picked Damon up off of Caroline and put him back in the coffin and replaced the lid.

"I'll take her up to bed." Klaus said then lifted her into his arms and took her upstairs to her bedroom.

"You might need to do the same thing with Stefan." Ric said quietly to Bonnie.

"Where is Stefan?" She asked him softly.

"He's in the woods." Klaus replied as he re-entered the room wiping his eyes.

"Can you bring him back?" Ric asked him and Klaus nodded then shot out of the house.

"This is surreal." Seth said as he slumped on the couch and stared at the coffin. "He knew. He told us he had a feeling." Seth said as more tears welled up.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Bonnie asked. Klaus brought an ashen and broken Stefan back to the house minutes later and Bonnie made him pass out too.

"Klaus?" Ric asked after Klaus had put him in Seth's bed. Klaus turned to look at Ric. "What happened?" He asked in despair.

"It's my fault." Klaus replied emotionlessly. "We were just leaving after Damon basically talked my sister into leaving us alone and I was walking towards Damon, he must have seen something behind me because before I knew it he sped to me and turned me around so it was his back facing her. A vampire witch killed him by magically ripping his heart out." Klaus said. "He looked surprised for a moment. He smiled at me and whispered Caroline... then he was gone." Klaus said as more tears fell from his eyes.

"He died for you?" Bonnie asked in disbelief and Klaus nodded sadly. "He must have thought you were worth it then." Bonnie added shocking Klaus.

"That's not your fault, Klaus." Ric said to him.

"It is." Klaus nodded. "If I hadn't asked him to go to Russia with me, none of this would have happened." He said and was surprised when Bonnie smiled at him.

"Surely you know Damon by now, he would never have let you go without him." Bonnie replied.

"It doesn't change the fact that my best friend in the world, my brother... is dead." Klaus whispered.

* * *

><p>Caroline woke up a few hours later and came down the stairs like a zombie. She didn't say anything to anyone; she just sat down next to Damon's coffin and lay her head down on top of it. She didn't cry anymore nor did she move; she just sat there frozen in the awkward position. Bonnie offered her a drink, blood, food and nothing. Caroline didn't respond. All of them tried to talk to her but she ignored them. Shortly after she woke up, Stefan woke up. He talked a little and cried a little and he tried to speak to Caroline too but it was like her eyes were vacant. Caroline considered switching her emotions off, but she'd made a promise to Damon long ago that she wouldn't if he didn't and aside from the brief period after she cheated on him, he never did, so she couldn't. That didn't mean that she could think about it anymore either and she felt herself shut down. Stefan walked into the kitchen where they all sat around the table.<p>

"We need to decide what to do with his body." Stefan said quietly.

"I think we should bury him in the woods." Ric replied. "He loved the woods out here and he said Amsterdam felt like his home. I don't think there would be anywhere better for him to rest." Ric said.

"I agree." Stefan nodded.

"When do you want to do it?" Ric asked him softly.

"Now." Stefan replied. "Everyone that cared about him is here and the sooner we get that coffin out of here, the sooner we can help Caroline deal with this." Stefan replied just as softly.

"Why don't you and I go find a spot then?" Ric asked him and Stefan nodded. They left the house and went into the woods. Bonnie was surprised at how broken Klaus was. He hadn't moved from his seat on the couch next to the coffin and he just watched Caroline. The guilt she saw written all over his face was astounding. He truly believed it was his fault that Damon saved his life. Ric and Stefan returned a short while later.

"We dug the grave." Stefan said to them then turned to Caroline. He leaned forward and forced her into his arms and he carried her bridal style. Klaus lifted the coffin easily and followed Stefan, Ric, Bonnie and Seth into the woods. After a short walk, they found the giant hole and Klaus slid the coffin into it.

"Shouldn't we put flowers down or something?" Bonnie asked and Stefan, Ric, Seth and Klaus chuckled.

"Flowers for Damon?" Ric asked. "Did you meet him?"

"He wouldn't have appreciated that." Stefan agreed then Ric and him stepped forward and started to close the hole. Caroline watched as they buried the man she loved but she couldn't say anything about it. Before Stefan went forward, he'd passed Caroline over to Klaus and he held her close to his chest. Caroline couldn't speak or think or comprehend that they were burying him. She was just numb. Shortly after they'd all said their silent goodbyes, they went back to the house. Stefan brought out the patio table and chairs so they could all sit outside even though it was cold. He brought out bottles of bourbon as that was what Damon would no doubt have wanted. He would have wanted them all to sit together and have a drink and no doubt recount tales of how he tried to kill them all... He was Damon Salvatore after all.

Caroline still wasn't speaking but Klaus brought her outside with him and sat her down next to him. He wrapped her in a blanket as clearly she wasn't going to tell them if she was cold. Ric poured them all a glass of bourbon and they toasted to Damon then drank.

"It just doesn't seem real." Ric said. "It can't be real."

"It's not fair." Seth said.

"I can't believe he's really gone." Bonnie added.

"After 165 years... I'm still not ready for this." Stefan whispered and they all fell silent. 

"That's a little dramatic, don't you think?"


	15. Shock

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 15

* * *

><p>"That's a little dramatic, don't you think?" He said and all their heads snapped in the direction of the voice.<p>

"Damon!" Stefan yelled then sped to him and jumped on him, almost knocking him over. Klaus, Ric, Bonnie and Seth all ran over to him and hugged him tightly too then they just stared at him in disbelief. He was covered in dirt as he'd obviously had to dig himself out of the grave.

"Could you have buried me any further down?" He quipped then noticed Caroline was just sitting at the table frozen. She just looked at him. "Caroline?" He asked her confused as he walked a few steps closer to her and she burst into uncontrollable tears.

"God, I hate you, Damon! I hate you so much! I've never hated anyone as much as I hate you!" She exclaimed and he was stunned. Before he could argue with her that he didn't believe her she sped over to him and nearly crushed him to death with her arms. "Don't you ever do that to me again! You hear me?" She shrieked and he hugged her back with a small chuckle. "Have you got any idea what you put all of us through!" She sobbed.

"Not really, I was dead." He replied and she smacked his arm.

"There is nothing funny about this!" She shouted at him as she pulled away. "And I don't want to hear anymore smart ass comments about it!" She pointed. "You just... died!" She yelled then hugged him again. He felt terrible at how shaken up she was. When he'd compelled her he'd forgotten that his compulsion would wear off if he died.

"It's okay." He whispered to her as he held her tightly. The relief he felt at being back in her arms was astounding. She'd been his last thought before he died in Russia and his first thought when he woke up in the box.

"No, it's not okay." She whispered. "I held you in my arms and you were dead. I saw you... dead." She said. That kind of bothered him; he'd have to talk to Klaus about that one.

"Well, apparently Judgy's spell brought me back." He said in attempt to lighten things and Caroline pulled away to stare at Bonnie.

"You put a spell on him and you didn't tell me!" Caroline yelled and Bonnie winced.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think it worked." She replied apologetically.

"I can't... I just... can't." Caroline said then she fainted. Damon caught her before she hit the deck though and sat down on the steps as he cuddled her into him.

"Drama queen." He sighed. "So..." Damon said. "How's everybody doing?" He smirked and they all stared at him in disbelief.

"I think I might faint too." Klaus said and Damon chuckled.

"Now that... would make my day." Damon winked at him. "The great and powerful Oz fainting at the sight of little old me." Damon quipped and Klaus sighed in annoyance.

"Damon." Klaus said in warning. He was dangerously close to falling apart.

"What? You'd think I was dead if I wasn't teasing you." Damon said with a smirk and they gaped at him. "Too soon?" He asked amused and Bonnie laughed out loud surprising them all.

"You're such an ass." Bonnie said shocked.

"You say that like it surprises you." Damon pointed out. "Look... can we just move on from this already? This is going to get old, fast and believe me I'm just as weirded out as you all are about coming back from the dead... again. Maybe not as much as Barbie here..." He said looking down at her amused. "But I'm covered in dirt from digging my way out of a really fucking deep grave, I need a shower and I'm hungry as fuck... Can we do more of this awkwardness later?" Damon asked.

"Sure, Damon." Ric nodded. Damon shot him a grateful look.

"Awesome." Damon smirked then lifted Caroline up and went to the door, only to bounce off the barrier. "You have got to be kidding me!" Damon exclaimed and Stefan chuckled.

"Just a minute and I'll call the human." Klaus said and got out his phone. He dialled the number of the compelled human that technically owned their house. "Please invite Damon Salvatore in." Klaus said then put the phone on speaker.

"_Come in, Damon Salvatore._" The voice said and Damon tried again and got in.

"Cheers, K-Bone." Damon said then raced up the stairs carrying Caroline. Klaus thanked the human then hung up.

"He's such a prick but I am so happy right now." Stefan grinned and they all laughed then went back in the house.

* * *

><p>Damon had a quick shower after tucking Caroline into bed, pulled some boxers on then checked on her. She was still out. Clearly this had taken its toll on her and Damon knew he'd have to be on his best behaviour around her for a while until she got over it. He sauntered down the stairs in his underwear and went to the fridge, pulled out a couple of packets of blood, gulped them down then turned to leave when he saw Bonnie.<p>

"Thank you for that spell." Damon nodded to her and she smiled.

"I'm just glad it worked. Caroline..." She shook her head.

"I know." Damon nodded in understanding.

"No... It was terrible, Damon." She said sadly. "I had to magically knock her out because she couldn't cope." Bonnie said.

"You can tell me about it later." He said softly. "But I need to go back upstairs and make sure she doesn't wake up without me there." He said to her.

"See you in the morning." She smiled in understanding.

"Night, Bonnie." Damon replied then bolted back upstairs. He climbed into bed behind her and pulled her into his chest. Being dead had severed all connections he had so he couldn't sense Caroline or any of the others anymore. He'd have to fix that as soon as he could. Caroline woke up facing the wall in her bedroom and she had an arm around her. It couldn't be true...

"Bonnie?" She asked softly and Damon smiled sadly. She was so scared that she'd dreamt it.

"No, my sweet." He said to her and she spun round to face him. He reached up and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"It really happened... You really came back." She said as tears formed in her eyes. Damon heard the rest of them leave the house.

"I promised you when we left Mystic Falls that I wouldn't ever leave you, didn't I?" He smiled at her and she kissed him. He cupped her cheek and deepened their kiss. He was sure it was the best kiss he'd ever had.

"I love you." She said to him as she pulled away.

"I thought you hated me?" He smirked and she smacked him again.

"I do." She replied. "But that doesn't mean I don't love you."

"Understood." He nodded. "I love you too." He smiled.

"You can't do that to me again." She whispered and he chuckled.

"I won't." He said to her honestly.

"You're never going to be out of my sight again ever." She replied and he smirked.

"Buzz-kill." He replied and she glared at him. "What?" He asked amused. "Being around me 24/7 for all eternity?" He said. "You'd stake yourself within a month." He pointed out and she laughed despite wanting to stay angry at him. "I knew I could make you laugh." He grinned then kissed her forehead.

"But it's over now, right? We're safe now?" She asked him innocently and it broke his heart to tell her the truth.

"Not yet. We are safer now than we were though." He said to her and her face fell. "But we'll have a better plan for next time. We rushed this one." He admitted and tears rolled down her face. "I won't die again, baby." He said as he held her face in his hands.

"You don't know that." She said shakily and he smiled at her.

"I killed two Originals in Russia and there can't be that many of them left. If memory serves there's only Elijah and one other, unless Klaus didn't kill Charlotte." Damon shrugged. "But it could be a while until Elijah comes up with some counter plan. You don't have to worry." He smiled.

"How can I not worry?" She asked him in a strained voice. "You'll just take off again and I'll be a wreck all over again." She said and he shook his head.

"I'm not going anywhere." Damon replied. "Next time, we'll let them come to us." He said.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him after a moment. She was too emotionally exhausted to think about what he was saying.

"I feel fine." He shrugged.

"Good." She nodded.

"How about you?" Damon asked her curiously. "You had a tough day." He said and she looked at him like he'd grown an extra head.

"Tough? Try the worst day anyone has ever had in the history of the world." She replied and he chuckled.

"You love me that much?" Damon asked her with a smile.

"You know I do." She replied. "I still hate you though." She said and he smirked.

"It's not like I meant to die." He replied softly. "You have no idea how much getting your heart ripped out hurts." He said and she winced.

"I don't hate you because you died, jackass. I hate you because you lied to me and compelled me to go to sleep. You didn't even say goodbye." She exclaimed.

"I thought it would be easier. I'm proud of your for keeping your emotions on." He replied. "Oh and what part of 'Stay in New York' was unclear?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.

"You're not the boss of me." She said and he chuckled.

"Fair enough." He smiled. "When are you going to Mystic Falls?" He asked her curiously and she gaped at him.

"Yes, I spent my day thinking over my return home while my husband was in a box." She replied and he smirked.

"You're just not going to let this go." He sighed. "You promised your mother that you would do her wedding. She's counting on you." Damon reminded her.

"I'm not going if you don't come with me." She replied and he rolled his eyes.

"But Mystic Falls is so boring." Damon complained.

"Then we won't go." Caroline shrugged and Damon narrowed his eyes at her. He didn't get the big deal – he was fine.

"Why don't you and Bonnie go together? Make it like a girl's weekend or something?" Damon asked her.

"Why are you trying to get rid of me?" Caroline asked him seriously and he chuckled.

"I'm not at all but you can't just stop living your life because of me." He replied.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I'm not letting you out of my sight." She said and he smiled.

"Fine, we'll go to Crappy Falls." Damon sighed. "Did you read my letter?" He asked quietly and she looked stunned.

"No. I completely forgot about it." She replied. "I don't want to read it anyway." She said and he cocked an eyebrow.

"Why not?" He asked curiously. She usually wanted to know everything.

"Because you probably wrote something really epic then ruined it by something Damon-y and I just don't want to ever hear or read a goodbye from you." She said. "I swear to god, even in the future if you decide to break up with me, just stake me because I can't deal with it." She replied and he chuckled and pulled her into his chest.

"I'm never going to break up with you ever." He smirked. "Vampires can't get divorced you know." He pointed out and she giggled. "You know what I think?" Damon asked. "I think you and I should go back to Galapagos after your mother's wedding." He smiled and she grinned at him.

"It was an epic two weeks." She agreed. "We're going to have to start doing our bet again." She said and Damon smirked.

"We have so many to catch up on." He agreed. "If not the Galapagos cruise, we should at least do something together before Vik comes and we end up locked in as parents for the next 18 years." He smirked.

"Like a second honeymoon?" She asked curiously and he grinned.

"Somewhere with a lot of supply closets." He pointed out and she laughed.

"You know we could go back and see Ferdinand." She grinned. "It would be kind of nice to go back to where it started." She said.

"I'm pretty sure you could just summon that shark anywhere we go." He replied and she grinned widely. "But, you're right. We should go back to that island, even if only for a day or two. We never went to the rainforest either." Damon replied.

"Well, we could go to Turks and Caicos for a couple of days then fly down and do the rainforest for a couple of days then have a week on the cruise." She grinned. "Except, I think it should just be the two of us for the island and rainforest, but we should get everyone to come on the cruise with us and get married again." She grinned and Damon smirked.

"Now that's an idea." He nodded. "But could you imagine your mother trapped on a boat for a week with six vampires and a witch?" Damon chuckled and Caroline laughed.

"We could have two more weddings." She shrugged and Damon smirked.

"Two?" He asked sceptically.

"Yeah." She nodded. "One on the cruise with the boys and Bonnie and Zara then on our anniversary we could go get married in Mystic Falls and have Stefan, my mom and Roger there, my dad and his boyfriend and best of all, Viktor too." She grinned.

"So we're really going to get married three times in the space of a year?" Damon smirked and she laughed.

"Why not? What the hell else are we doing with our time?" She cocked an eyebrow and he chuckled.

"I've been thinking about a wedding present for your mother... Do you think we should send her and Roger on a crazy expensive honeymoon?" Damon smirked and Caroline giggled.

"She does need to chill out and relax." Caroline nodded. "That would be great." She grinned. "I'll tell her to take two weeks off work after the wedding because that's our present to her then." She smiled.

"Where should we send her?" Damon asked happily.

"Hawaii." Caroline grinned and Damon chuckled.

"You just tell me the dates and the resort and I'll get it organised." He smiled. "Pick something special." He said.

"I will." She smiled and kissed him. "Are you tired?" She asked.

"No." He shook his head.

"I think we should go see the others." She said surprising Damon. "Today was tough on all of them and I have to admit I feel a little better now." She said and Damon kissed her.

"It is only 9.30pm." He nodded.

"And I don't know that Bonnie will be too comfortable sitting in Klaus' house." She replied.

"I never thought of that." Damon conceded.

"Let's go then." She smiled.

"I'll get dressed." He smirked.

"Do you have to?" Caroline pouted and he laughed.

"I'll take it off for you again later." He winked and she giggled. Damon pulled on some clothes and the two of them ran over to Klaus' house and went inside.

"We thought you two were going to sleep?" Bonnie asked as they entered. Damon was surprised to see they were all sitting playing poker together.

"We might be married but 9.30pm is a little early to go to bed, don't you think?" Damon smirked and she laughed. "And I've been sleeping like the dead all day." He winked and they all gave him dirty looks – they didn't find it funny.

"You alright, Damon?" Klaus asked and Damon saw the guilt on his face.

"Let's go for a walk." Damon nodded his head to the door and Klaus nodded and stood up. They walked to the door and Caroline followed. "I'll be right back." He said to her and she shook her head.

"I told you, I'm not letting you out of my sight." She crossed her arms over her chest and they all laughed.

"I'm just going outside, I swear. If I'm not back in 10 minutes you can come look for me, okay?" He said holding up his hands trying not to laugh and she huffed then turned around and went over to sit next to Bonnie.

"Five minutes." She pointed and he smirked.

"Yes, dear." He said and they all laughed then Damon and Klaus left the house and made their way into the woods. "What's going on?" Damon asked Klaus.

"It's my fault that you died." He said and Damon could see he was trying not to cry. He pulled Klaus into a firm hug.

"Klaus, I'm fine. It's not your fault. I told you I would always have your back." Damon said.

"And you literally did have my back. But you have to promise me you'll never do that again." Klaus said shakily.

"Could you promise that to me?" Damon asked him curiously and Klaus shook his head.

"That's beside the point." Klaus said.

"Look, I know it was a hard day for you all, especially you since you saw me die... I know if it was reversed and I saw you die, I'd be a complete mess... But I'm fine now and I'm not going anywhere." Damon promised.

"Today was the worst day of my life." Klaus admitted. "Having to tell Caroline and Stefan was the most painful thing I've experienced in 1000 years." He said and Damon was taken aback by just how much he cared.

"Klaus, if I hadn't jumped in, you would be dead, but permanently because you didn't have a Judgy little witch stick her nose in and put a protection spell on you. Its better it worked out this way. Next time, we'll be more careful." Damon replied.

"I can't watch you die again." Klaus replied and Damon smirked.

"Next time, we'll both have Bonnie put protection spells on us and we won't die." Damon replied. "Klaus... I'm right here." Damon said and put his hand on Klaus' shoulder. "I'm not dead anymore... well, you know what I mean." Damon smirked and Klaus chuckled.

"Alright." Klaus nodded.

"Now, let's go back before Barbie freaks out and sends out a search party." Damon smirked and Klaus chuckled.

"She just loves you." Klaus shrugged.

"I know." Damon smiled. "What happened after I croaked?" Damon smirked and Klaus rolled his eyes.

"I killed Charlotte and everyone else that was left." Klaus replied and Damon looked impressed.

"Rage?" Damon asked and Klaus nodded. "Happens." He shrugged. They walked back to Klaus' house and went in and Caroline seemed to sigh in relief at the sight of Damon again.

"That was more than five minutes." Caroline muttered and Damon chuckled.

"As you can see, I didn't run away to Russia." He pointed out and she glared at him. "You have no sense of humour." Damon smirked.

"You know what I find funny?" Caroline smirked and Stefan wanted to hide.

"What's that my sweet?" Damon asked amused.

"That you get your curly hair straightened." She pointed out and Damon deadpanned and turned eerily slowly to look at Stefan.

"You're dead." Damon said then his face changed and he yanked Stefan out of the house. All of them gaped and ran to the door to find Stefan and Damon kicking the crap out of each other, though obviously Damon was winning as Stefan could hardly get a hit in.

"Damon!" Caroline exclaimed and Damon tossed Stefan on the ground.

"You fucking dick." Damon shook his head.

"You told them stories about me." Stefan replied.

"Yeah, stupid stories from over century ago. I trusted you, Stefan." Damon said then took off into the woods.

"Stef, are you okay?" Caroline asked him and Stefan sighed. Caroline felt really badly about ratting him out but she had no idea he would react like that.

"I did warn you that he would kill me for telling you that." Stefan said as he waited for his broken bones to heal then stood up.

"I'm really sorry." Caroline said sincerely. "I had no idea you meant it. Damon says he's going to kill everyone for everything but he usually doesn't." She replied and Stefan chuckled.

"True." He nodded.

"I won't mention any of the other ones." She promised.

"The other ones won't bother him." Stefan sighed. "They're just stupid stories. He's right, I shouldn't have told you all that."

"Any idea where he went?" Seth asked.

"He went back to his house." Klaus replied.

"I'll go talk to him." Seth shrugged then started to walk across the field. Ric, Stefan and Klaus stared after Seth sceptically and Caroline smirked.

"If anyone's going to talk him down, it's Seth." Caroline assured them.

* * *

><p>Seth arrived at the door and knocked since he didn't want to be rude and just barge in. Damon appeared with a scowl on his face but it went away when he saw Seth.<p>

"Why are you knocking?" Damon asked confused and Seth smirked.

"I'm not going to just barge in your house, dude." Seth replied then walked in when Damon stepped out of the way.

"Don't be a moron. You live here now too." Damon pointed out casually and Seth chuckled.

"Fair enough." He said. "Feel like a drink?" Seth asked and Damon smirked.

"Always." Damon nodded then the two of them went over to the couch with a bottle and two glasses and Seth poured Damon a drink first then himself.

"I'm glad you're back, DM." Seth grinned. "I didn't know what to do earlier." He admitted.

"I'm hard to get rid of." Damon replied and Seth laughed.

"Good." He smiled.

"What else did Stefan say?" Damon asked him.

"Dude, yesterday Caroline was a nervous wreck. I think he was just trying to get her to think about something else. He didn't tell everyone things to be a dick; he was trying to make her laugh." Seth said and Damon felt badly. It was his fault that she was a nervous wreck to begin with.

"I've done thousands of stupid things that would be funny, why did he have to tell her that? Is it impossible to just have one thing that you keep to yourself?" He asked annoyed.

"You told me." Seth countered and Damon sighed.

"That's different. You're not my wife." Damon huffed. "What else did he say?" Damon asked.

"Just don't go nuts, you trust me not to say things and I trust you to do the same. I've just met everyone here and I don't want them to think I'm a tattle tale." He warned and Damon chuckled.

"I swear. I can just get it out of Barbie if I want to kill Stefan for it." Damon smirked.

"He told a story about you wearing a teapot on your head." Seth chuckled and Damon laughed.

"I totally forgot about that!" Damon exclaimed then laughed loudly. "That's just funny because it's so ridiculous." Damon smirked. "What else?"

"He told a story about you pretending that a mugger hit your dad with a candle stick." Seth said and Damon buckled over with laughter.

"My first arrest." Damon grinned. "That story is funny." He conceded. "Anything else?"

"He told us that you lost your swim trunks once." Seth smirked and Damon laughed.

"So just stupid stuff like that?" Damon asked and Seth nodded.

"You were kind of harsh, dude." Seth said. "He didn't do it to betray your trust." Seth said softly. Damon rolled his eyes.

"You're that annoying fucking angel sitting on my shoulder, you know that?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and Seth laughed.

"Let's not kid ourselves, Damon. You don't have an angel on your shoulder. You have two devils... it's just one is worse than the other." Seth said and Damon laughed loudly.

"I like that you just get me." Damon replied with a smile. "Dude, we haven't talked about Sydney yet." Damon pointed out and Seth nodded.

"I know and we will. But not right now, okay?" He asked and Damon agreed.

"That's fine." Damon nodded.

"You should apologise to Stefan. You broke his arms, Damon." Seth said and Damon huffed.

"But I don't want to." Damon replied and Seth chuckled.

"Dude, you're an old married guy... Are you really going to let your baby brother be the bigger person?" Seth asked and Damon cocked an eyebrow. He kind of had a point.

"Fine." Damon groaned.

"Oh, by the way, Cookie offered to turn me." Seth grinned and Damon smirked.

"I wish it could be me." Damon said sadly.

"I know dude, but we both love Cookie, she's not exactly a consolation prize." He shrugged and Damon grinned at him.

"Very true." Damon nodded. "When you going to do it then?" Damon asked curiously.

"Whenever." Seth shrugged. "If I do that blood thing you did with Tyler then I won't be like a ravenous newbie, right?" He asked and Damon chuckled.

"Right." Damon grinned. "Barbie can be your sire, but I'm training you." Damon smirked and Seth chuckled.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Seth winked and Damon chuckled.

"Anyway, let's go before I change my mind." Damon said and Seth laughed.

* * *

><p>Stefan showered quickly and changed his clothes since there was blood all over his other clothes from his fight with Damon. He didn't really see the violence of their fight as a big deal as they'd had much worse before and that was just them. He went back through and sat with the rest of them and soon enough, Damon and Seth came through the door and they all grew quiet.<p>

"Stefan." Damon said.

"Damon." He replied.

"I apologise for reacting the way I did." Damon replied and everyone in the room gaped at him in disbelief then stared at Seth like he was a Martian.

"What?" Stefan asked.

"Even though you were a dick for revealing something I didn't want revealed, I have been told you did it to cheer Barbie up, so – I'm sorry for breaking your arms." Damon replied then he and Seth sat down on the couch with the bottle Damon had brought over. Everyone continued to gape at them until Damon laughed. "Would you all like a picture?" Damon asked with a smirk and Seth shot him a look. "What?" Damon asked him.

"Stop being a dick, dude. It's been a stressful day." Seth replied and Damon huffed.

"Fine." Damon said and Stefan looked confused. "It's not like my day's been dandy either." Damon pointed out and Seth raised an eyebrow at him.

"How the hell was it stressful for you? You were dead." Seth said and everyone's eyes widened that Seth would say that to Damon of all people but Damon just chuckled.

"Fair enough." He smirked. "We need to do something fun tomorrow, today's been a drag." Damon said and Seth rolled his eyes.

"I could teach you how to play darts." Seth smirked and Damon laughed.

"I can play darts... I just go easy on your human ass." Damon countered.

"Who are you trying to kid? You fucking stink." Seth said and everyone else listened in disbelief, besides Caroline.

"I'm not that bad, dude." Damon replied amused and Seth looked at him sceptically.

"I don't want to say the worst I've ever seen, but I think I might have to." Seth said and Damon chuckled. He loved bantering with Seth.

"So it might not be my forte..." Damon rolled his eyes and Seth laughed. "But I've had other things to do over the years." He pointed out and Seth smirked.

"Like what? Get drunk and kill people?" Seth asked amused and Damon laughed.

"Those can become art forms." Damon defended and Seth snorted.

"I suppose the killing people part, you might have a point – I had no idea there were so many different ways to do it until I met you." Seth smirked and Damon chuckled. "But how is chugging from the bottle an art form?" Seth asked amused and Damon smirked.

"It's better than wasting all your time perfecting pointless dart skills." Damon replied and Seth rolled his eyes. Seth could have been a professional darts player and he spent years studying it and perfecting it.

"Because sitting waiting on a comet for over a century is so much better." Seth replied and Stefan's jaw dropped. He was sure Damon would rip him apart for that comment but to everyone's surprise Damon laughed loudly. Stefan didn't understand how Seth got away with all of this.

"I'll have you know, I had a lot of sex waiting on that comet." Damon smirked and Seth laughed.

"Can't really argue that one." Seth smirked back. "Can you bowl? Or is that another thing that you're terrible at?" He asked and Damon laughed.

"I can honestly say I've never bowled before." Damon said and Seth's jaw dropped.

"How is that even possible?" Seth asked in disbelief.

"I'm not going to wear smelly rental shoes." Damon replied wryly and Seth chuckled.

"Isn't that the whole point of compulsion?" Seth asked and Damon laughed.

"I don't really think bowling is something I'd like... Seems more like something Sparkles would do." Damon said and they both laughed while Stefan rolled his eyes.

"You afraid you'll suck at that too?" Seth asked and Damon smirked.

"I'm not _afraid_ of anything." Damon said with that evil glint in his eye.

"Except curly hair, apparently." Seth smirked and all of their eyes widened and Damon cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I feel a bet coming." Damon said and Seth laughed. Stefan couldn't believe that this guy got away with the kinds of things he said to Damon.

"Get Cookie to bet you then." Seth said with a shrug. "I'd rather just laugh my ass off at you bowling 1s and 2s." He said and Damon laughed.

"You do know I have supernatural balance and aim unlike your weak human self." Damon pointed out and Seth laughed.

"Clearly you don't know how to use it." Seth chuckled and Damon rolled his eyes.

"You're a smartass." Damon replied and Seth laughed.

"You've run out of quips already, dude?" Seth smirked.

"I have an excuse, I was dead all day." Damon pointed out and Seth laughed.

"You're always dead all day." He reminded him and Damon laughed.

"OH MY GOD!" Stefan finally yelled causing both of them to turn and look at Stefan.

"What?" They said in unison.

"I get it! I finally get it!" Stefan said in disbelief.

"Get what?" They said together again and smirked at each other.

"Seth is exactly like Damon was when he was human." Stefan said wide eyed. "That's why you like Seth so much." Stefan said to Damon.

"He's not like me..." Damon started.

"I just get him." Seth finished his sentence and Stefan groaned.

"Does nobody else see this?" Stefan asked Klaus, Ric, Bonnie and Caroline.

"Yes." Caroline and Bonnie said in unison and Damon and Seth smirked on the same side as they looked at the rest of them.

"I don't see it." Seth said and Damon nodded.

"Me neither." Damon shrugged

* * *

><p><strong>You didn't think I'd honestly kill Damon permanently, did you? *smirk* ;)<strong>


	16. Birthday

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

**I've put what I imagine Klaus looks like in wolf form on my profile.**

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 16

* * *

><p>Damon woke up early the next morning to find Caroline clinging to him in her sleep. He sighed and unhooked her, she needed the sleep obviously and he didn't want to wake her up. He figured Stefan and Klaus would probably be awake already and decided to head over there. He went downstairs when something occurred to him. All of his connections were broken because of his death so he wondered if that meant he'd have to start all over again with his wolf transformations to make them shorter. He sighed and got undressed in the living room. He couldn't hear any heartbeats so he figured that Seth, Bonnie and Ric went over to Klaus' house. He forced his transformation and it only took a couple of minutes so Damon wasn't too worried about it. Once he was fully wolfed out he ran across the field. He was glad that Klaus always left his front door wide open because he didn't really want to have to knock in wolf form. He casually walked right in the door as a large black wolf and found all the boys and Bonnie sitting on the couches talking and playing cards. They all laughed at the sight of him wandering in the door.<p>

"Man, that's cool." Seth said.

"Is this the first time you've seen him like that?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah." Seth smiled and Damon grinned at him then jumped up and sprawled himself across the couch.

"Don't get hair on the couch." Klaus warned and Damon growled at him causing bouts of laughter.

"What colour are you when you turn?" Seth asked curiously and Damon wolf-chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Just the same as my hair colour." Klaus shrugged then Damon barked at Klaus and nodded his head to the door.

"What does he want?" Stefan asked.

"Feel like a run?" Klaus asked and Damon nodded his head. "One minute." Klaus said then sped up to his room. About a minute later he came down the stairs as a blonde/light brown wolf. Damon raced out the door and Klaus followed him.

"That's cool." Seth grinned. Damon and Klaus were gone for almost an hour when they sauntered back in together with their tongues lolling out of their mouths and the group laughed. Damon hopped up on the couch again and Klaus growled at him but Damon just wolf chuckled then moved onto his back and started rolling around causing the group to laugh. Even as a wolf he was a jackass. Klaus snorted then lay down on the floor. Seconds later Caroline came barrelling in the door still wearing her pyjamas with her morning bed hair and slippers on.

"Damon!" She yelled and he hopped down off the couch and swaggered over to her.

_Morning beautiful._

"You ass! I woke up and you weren't there! I was worried sick." She exclaimed and he rolled his eyes.

_I was only across the field._

"Why didn't you wake me up?" She asked.

_You looked like you needed the sleep, my sweet._

"I woke up worried that I dreamt it." She whispered and he sighed then jumped up on her and knocked her on the ground and licked her face causing them to all laugh and Caroline giggled as she tried to shove him away. "Damon!" She squealed in between giggles.

_I'm not going anywhere, Caroline._

"You better not." She said from underneath him. "Now get off." She laughed and just to annoy her he started his kiss attack again and she squealed then he stopped and stood up.

_Your chariot awaits._

"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked as she stood up.

_Hop on._ Damon smirked in wolf form.

"You can't be serious." Caroline said wide eyed.

_I'm letting you ride me like a pony – hop on and I'll run you home._ Damon laughed and her eyes widened.

"Really?" She giggled.

_Let's go, babe._ Damon said as he walked over to the door. Caroline was nervous but excited and they all watched in disbelief as she jumped on Damon's back. _Hold on tight._ Damon said mischievously and she leaned forward and put her arms around his neck. Damon shot out the door at full speed and they all heard Caroline's high pitched scream all the way home and they burst into hysterics. Only Damon would do that.

"At least he's never boring." Bonnie laughed.

"It's funny seeing Damon just sitting there in silence with Cookie talking away to him." Seth smirked.

"They do it all the time." Stefan smiled. "Though I do believe that was Caroline's first ride." Stefan said and Bonnie smirked.

"Somehow, I doubt that." She quipped and they all laughed at her joke.

* * *

><p>Damon slowed down as he approached the door and stopped to let Caroline open it.<p>

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed as she got off him. "That was amazing!" She giggled.

_If you're a very good girl... I might do it again._ Damon replied as they walked in.

"I'd need something to hold onto next time." She giggled and Damon turned in seconds before her eyes then stood up in front of her and smirked. He was stark naked and Caroline felt a jolt of lust race through her.

"I'll give you something to hold onto." Damon cocked an eyebrow then Caroline pounced on him. She gripped him tightly as they kissed passionately. In his haste to get her out of her clothes, he ripped them off then lifted her to lean against the banister on the stairs and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

* * *

><p>"So what are we doing today?" Stefan asked absently as they played cards.<p>

"I'd love to see the sights." Bonnie replied.

"Maybe have a look at the colleges." Seth added.

"I'm just going to head over to the house and get ready." Ric said as he stood up.

"I wouldn't do that, mate." Klaus smirked and Ric laughed.

"Why not?" Stefan asked confused.

"Because your brother is getting some in the hallway." Klaus replied and they laughed.

"You can hear that?" Seth asked in disbelief.

"Vaguely. I'm trying to tune it out." Klaus replied with a chuckle.

"Have you called Zara?" Ric asked.

"Yeah, we're going out tonight." Klaus grinned and Stefan laughed.

"Aww, you totally love her." Stefan teased and Klaus rolled his eyes.

"What is it with you Salvatore men and the teasing?" Klaus asked and Stefan chuckled.

"I think mine is mild in comparison to Damon." Stefan replied.

"That's like comparing a breeze to a hurricane." Ric smirked and they laughed.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Damon joined them at Klaus' house about an hour later and they walked in hand in hand. Caroline was giving Damon googly eyes and he kept checking her out.<p>

"Saps." Stefan smirked and Damon chuckled.

"If you just had what I just had you'd be staring too." Damon winked and they laughed. Caroline was used to him being inappropriate.

"Do you want to ask them or should I?" Caroline asked him excitedly and he rolled his eyes and slumped on the couch.

"It's obvious you want to do it." He smirked and she giggled. Klaus was sitting on the other couch and Caroline went and sat in his lap and he put his arms around her.

"So, Damon and I were talking and we've decided to get married again." She grinned and they all smiled at her. "We want to do it again on the Galapagos cruise and we want you all to come." She grinned.

"I'm in." Klaus said immediately then kissed her cheek.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something, Nicky." Caroline turned to smile at him. "We only want everyone in this room there and I was wondering... if you would walk me down the aisle?" She smiled and Damon saw the pure joy on his face at her asking.

"It would be a great honour, my darling." Klaus smiled whole heartedly and she clapped in glee then hugged him tightly and he hugged her back.

"Oh and Steffi?" Damon smirked. "Barbie wants you to be one of her bridesmaids." Damon chuckled and everyone laughed.

"Shut up, Damon." Caroline said annoyed. "I want Bonnie, Zara and Stefan to stand up with me, doesn't mean he's a bridesmaid." She pointed out and Stefan chuckled.

"You want Zara there?" Klaus asked surprised and Caroline turned and smiled at him fondly.

"Of course." Caroline smiled. "She's your girlfriend and I love her to pieces." Caroline grinned. "And I'll never hear the end of it if Damon doesn't get to check her out in a bikini." She said and Damon smirked while the rest laughed in surprise.

"Best wife ever." Damon winked at her and she laughed.

"So does that mean Ric, Seth and Klaus are standing up with you?" Stefan asked Damon curiously and Damon shrugged.

"I wanted to just pick a name out of a hat." He said and they laughed. "Barbie didn't like that idea." He smirked. "And since Barbie's making me marry her again in front of her mother and father, you can be my best man there." Damon shrugged.

"You're getting married twice?" Ric chuckled and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Barbie wants, Barbie gets." He replied and the boys made a whip sound and flicked their wrists. "Whatever. I'll just kill you all." Damon replied in a bored tone and they laughed.

"So when is this happening?" Bonnie asked excitedly.

"The first week of March for the first one and June for the human family one since Vik can be there then." Damon shrugged.

"Can we throw you a bachelor party?" Ric asked amused.

"No." Damon replied shocking them all.

"Damon Salvatore says no to a bachelor party?" Klaus asked in disbelief.

"This is how it would go – we'd get drunk and go to a strip club and get lap dances... what's the point of that when we could just get drunk here then I can go home and get laid?" Damon asked and they all laughed.

"Isn't the point that you get to ogle other women?" Caroline asked amused though she was doing an internal happy dance that he'd rather just be with her than go look at lots of women with the boys.

"What for? I've seen plenty of other boobs in my life." Damon shrugged.

"Yeah, like 30000 of them." Stefan smirked and Damon's eyes widened.

"Shut the fuck up, Stefan." Damon said in disbelief.

"What do you mean 30000?" Caroline asked confused.

"Damon's slept with..." Stefan started and Damon covered his mouth. Caroline narrowed her eyes and they all laughed.

"Finish that sentence and I'll snap your fucking neck." Damon warned.

"Wouldn't kill me." Stefan smirked.

"Maybe not but it hurts like a bitch." Damon replied.

"Damon's slept with...?" Caroline asked motioning for them to continue and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Do we have to talk about this now?" Damon asked annoyed.

"Is it 30000?" She asked in disbelief and he chuckled.

"No. I was a virgin when I met you." Damon smirked and they all laughed loudly. "What? It's possible." He pointed out and she raised an eyebrow.

"I know you slept with a girl when we were on the island." She pointed out and he smirked.

"I think I slept with eight girls on the island." Damon said casually as he tried to remember.

"Eight?" Caroline asked in disbelief. "We were only there for like four days!" She replied and they all laughed.

"I don't sleep as much as you do." Damon smirked and Stefan laughed.

"You're such a slut." Stefan teased and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I was a free agent then." Damon shrugged.

"I still want to know your number." Caroline said amused.

"So do I." Klaus laughed. "I think it'll be funny."

"What's your number Oz?" Damon asked amused and Klaus rolled his eyes.

"Probably less than yours." Klaus smirked.

"I don't remember." Damon shrugged.

"Yes, you do! You keep a b..." Stefan said but Damon covered his mouth.

"Did Judgy spike you with a truth potion or something?" Damon asked in disbelief. "Shut up!" He exclaimed and they all laughed.

"You do know you acting like this only makes us want to know more." Klaus pointed out and Damon chuckled.

"Fine, you all tell yours then I'll tell you mine." Damon countered.

"Mine is 24." Caroline said and Bonnie's jaw dropped.

"What?" Bonnie asked in disbelief and Caroline laughed.

"Is that a lot?" Damon asked sceptically and they laughed.

"217." Stefan said.

"Prude." Damon smirked. "Ric?" Damon asked amused.

"71." He replied and Damon laughed.

"Stef, you have like 130 years on him, you'll have to do better." Damon laughed and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Bonnie?" Caroline smirked and Bonnie blushed.

"Three." She replied.

"Awwwwww!" Damon exclaimed and Bonnie went tomato red. "That is so cute!" Damon laughed.

"Don't be mean." Seth said to Damon and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, Judgy." Damon mumbled and she laughed.

"We can't all be you, Damon." Bonnie replied and he laughed.

"Captain?" Damon smirked and Seth laughed.

"31." He shrugged.

"That only leaves the hybrids." Stefan smirked as he knew Damon's number.

"Bear in mind I've been around for over 1000 years." Klaus pointed out and Damon chuckled.

"Just tell us, king." Damon smirked.

"9118." Klaus replied and Damon's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"That's not possible." Damon replied in disbelief.

"Jealous?" Caroline asked and Stefan burst out laughing.

"So... what are we doing today?" Damon asked curiously and they all laughed.

"Tell us." Caroline smirked.

"Bear in mind that Damon hasn't been around for over 1000 years." Stefan smirked.

"Shut up." Damon groaned.

"This is going to shock us isn't it?" Klaus asked amused.

"Couple hundred, that's all." Damon shrugged. "No big deal." He said. "So what are we doing today?" Damon asked and Stefan laughed.

"You're not going to tell them after everyone told you?" Stefan asked with a grin.

"Whatever. You tell them then since you want them to know so badly." Damon huffed.

"Is it the same as before?" Stefan asked and Damon's jaw dropped.

"I haven't slept with anyone but the Mrs since we got married!" Damon replied and Stefan chuckled.

"Damon Salvatore a.k.a man whore has slept with 15812 people." Stefan said and the room went eerily quiet as all of them stared at Damon in disbelief.

"So... What are we doing today?" Damon asked.

"FIFTEEN THOUSAND!" They all exclaimed at the same time except for Stefan and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I guess it's closer to sixteen but whatever." Damon shrugged. "So what are we doing today?" He asked again. Clearly they weren't listening to him.

"Mate, that's nearly double mine in less than 20% of the time!" Klaus exclaimed.

"Well, then you see why I don't need a bachelor party." Damon pointed out and Klaus laughed.

"Who did you lose your virginity to?" Stefan asked curiously and Damon chuckled.

"It's kind of funny but Christina Lockwood." He smirked and Stefan's jaw dropped.

"As in Tyler's ancestor?" Caroline asked and Damon smirked.

"Yep." Damon nodded.

"But Christina was so hot!" Stefan exclaimed and Damon chuckled.

"Well, yeah." Damon said with a smirk.

"First Christina then Maggie then Carol... what is it with you and Lockwoods?" Stefan blurted and Damon's eyes widened and he looked at Stefan in disbelief.

"Tyler's mom!" Caroline exclaimed and Damon closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I was bored." Damon shrugged.

"Does Tyler know that?" Caroline asked wide eyed.

"Not yet." Seth smirked and Bonnie laughed.

"Did everyone know but me?" Caroline asked and Damon nodded.

"No point in lying about it." Damon shrugged. "Stefan slept with your grandmother, Barbie." Damon said and Caroline's jaw dropped.

"Damon!" Stefan exclaimed.

"Well if you're going to blurt out everything I got up to, you'll have to expect it in return!" Damon defended.

"Damon was engaged to Rebecca Forbes." Stefan said and Damon smirked.

"Stefan slept with Katherine in the tomb." Damon said and they all gasped.

"Damon killed Mr Tanner." Stefan said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Everyone knows that." Damon pointed out. "Stefan slept with Emily Bennett." Damon smirked and Stefan's eyes widened.

"Damon slept with Vicki." Stefan said.

"Stefan slept with Jeff." Damon smirked.

"My vampire, Jeff?" Klaus asked in disbelief.

"Damon!" Stefan exclaimed.

"I warned you already." Damon smirked.

"Caroline isn't Damon's first wife." Stefan said and Damon's expression grew fierce.

"Finish that story and I will stake you, Stefan." Damon warned and he was so angry that his face changed involuntarily.

"Don't you think she deserves to know?" Stefan narrowed his eyes at Damon and Damon scowled at him.

"Why don't you two take a little break from each other?" Klaus suggested anxiously.

"I'll tell her when I'm ready to tell her." Damon stared into Stefan's eyes. "You will not tell that story, is that understood?" Damon compelled him shocking the others.

"It's understood." Stefan replied in a daze.

"Good." Damon nodded. "So, I'm done with show and tell." Damon stood up and walked out of the house and Caroline ran after him moments later and caught up to him entering their house.

"Are you okay?" She asked him as they walked in.

"Fine." Damon replied curtly.

"Damon." She said softly then hugged him tightly.

"I'm guessing you're going to bug me to tell you now." Damon sighed as he hugged her back.

"There's obviously a reason you didn't tell me so just wait until you're ready." Caroline rubbed his back.

"I might as well just tell you." He said though he was pleased that she didn't want to rush him.

"You can tell me anything." She cupped his cheek.

"I'll need a drink for this." Damon mumbled then poured them both a drink. He didn't care that it was the morning still. He sat down next to her then absently handed her the glass. "I married Maggie Lockwood when I was eighteen years old." Damon admitted. "I loved her but I wasn't in love with her. We'd been best friends since we were little and neither of us wanted to get married but our parents were pressuring us to marry someone so we decided we would just marry each other since at least that way, we knew we wouldn't be miserable. She was pregnant almost right way and she... died." Damon explained. "In childbirth... along with my son... Dino." Damon blinked his eyes so that tears wouldn't fall. So many things fell into place for Caroline. She remembered when they found out Noelle was pregnant and she'd suggested Dino as a name, he'd gone silent and Stefan told her to move on. The way he was terrified of her carrying their second baby and how protective he was of her over everything.

"I'm sorry, Damon." She whispered then hugged him close to her.

"It was a long time ago." Damon said absently.

"That doesn't mean it won't still hurt." She replied. "I'm so sorry that happened to you and them." She said. "I can't believe Stefan would bring it up like that." She replied annoyed.

"Well, Katherine killed his fiancé... neither of us had it good." Damon replied.

"That's terrible." Caroline shook her head. "So you were engaged to my ancestor?" Caroline asked and he smirked. Caroline asked because she could tell he didn't want to talk about Maggie and Dino anymore, though she would ask once he was used to the idea of talking about it.

"Is that weird for you?" Damon asked.

"A little. Why didn't you marry her?" She asked.

"Because I married Maggie instead." Damon shrugged. "Rebecca was beautiful but she was a horrible girl who only cared about money and status and I would never have actually married her." Damon confessed.

"What was Maggie like?" Caroline asked cautiously and Damon smiled softly.

"A trouble maker." Damon chuckled. "She had dark blonde hair and green eyes and when she grinned you could just see the cogs turning in her head as she thought up the next wild thing we could get up to." Damon laughed. "As weird as this might sound, I think you would have liked her a lot." Damon said and Caroline grinned.

"Well, she does sound awesome." Caroline smiled.

"Thank you for saying that." Damon said sincerely. "And thank you for not getting angry about this." Damon said and Caroline held him closer to her.

"I love you and that isn't going to change." She said. "I'm glad to hear anything you want to tell me about. I'm just sorry that you had to go through that." She kissed his forehead. "Did you see Dino?" She asked softly and Damon stiffened and nodded. "Tell me about him." She smiled. He seemed to be opening up and she figured he'd probably never talked about it before.

"He was early so he was really small." Damon replied. "The doctor cleaned him up and let me hold him. It was disturbing because he just looked like he was sleeping..." Damon said then took a deep breath. "He had this little tuft of brown hair on his head and a podgy little nose. He was beautiful and looked like her already." Damon smiled and Caroline could see the look on his face and he was far away in the memory. "I had him buried in the coffin with his mother in her arms because from the minute she knew she was pregnant, her whole world was changed. She was so excited to meet him but she died minutes before they got him out... She never got to see him." Damon explained sadly.

"I'm so sorry, babe." She ran her hand through his hair and kissed the top of his head.

"You're the best... Have I ever told you that?" Damon asked her quietly and she smiled.

"I love you." She said.

"And I love you." He smirked. "We're so mushy." He said and she giggled.

"Well, since we're mushy... Noelle is 20 weeks pregnant today." Caroline said and Damon grinned at her.

"Half way there." Damon smiled.

"Well, I was thinking we could go see her today if she isn't busy and maybe talk to Viktor a little. Now that he's bigger we should start talking to him so he knows our voices when he's born." She said and Damon beamed at her.

"That would be kind of awesome." Damon smirked. "Only 20 weeks to go and we'll have him." Damon grinned and she giggled.

"We're going to be a mom and dad in only a few months." She smiled lovingly at him and he kissed her.

"I think he should sleep in our room." Damon said and Caroline giggled.

"Considering all of our house guests, I think so." She smirked.

"We need to figure out a plan for that, you know." Damon replied. "Ric, Bonnie and Seth can't all stay with us. Well they could but it would be mega crowded." Damon smirked.

"I've been thinking about that actually." Caroline nodded. "I think Nicky and the twins should live with us and everyone else lives in Nicky's house." She suggested.

"That's not a bad idea, Barbie." Damon nodded.

"Because think about it, we chose to be parents, the others didn't, and it's not really fair to have to keep them up with crying babies." She replied. "And, that way they each have a bedroom at Nicky's house." Caroline said.

"I like it." Damon nodded. "We should suggest that to them. I like that also though because then Klaus and I are both in the same house so we can protect the kids together." Damon pointed out.

"Good point." Caroline said. "Then that leaves us with the spare bedroom down here in case my mom wants to visit." She said.

"Speaking of that." Damon replied. "My compulsion would have worn off on Lockwood when I died." Damon said and Caroline nodded.

"What are you going to do about it?" She asked curiously and Damon shrugged.

"Well, if we go to Mystic Falls in the next couple of weeks we can stop there." Damon said. "Or if he feels like being a good sport he can come meet us there."

"He doesn't bother you at all anymore, does he?" Caroline asked curiously and Damon chuckled.

"Nah, he doesn't." Damon shrugged.

"I could tell the way you were with him the last time we saw him." She said.

"Look, my sweet. What you and I have together goes so far beyond a drunken kiss that it really doesn't remotely matter anymore." Damon smirked and she smiled at him.

"Yeah, we're good." She nodded and he kissed her.

"Better." He winked.

* * *

><p>Damon woke up the morning of his birthday alone in bed – truthfully, he'd completely forgotten that it was his birthday. He was more concerned that Caroline wasn't asleep next to him considering he didn't think he'd ever gotten up after her before. Not only that but it had been over a week since his return from the dead and she'd barely left his side at all. Not that he minded since he adored her. They'd met up with Noelle twice and both of them sat talking to Noelle and Viktor and she let them touch her stomach and with their advanced hearing they could hear his little heartbeat and it made them both all aflutter. Damon got up out of bed, took a quick shower and pulled on some shorts and a wife beater. He felt like having a lazy day and didn't want to leave the house so he didn't even bother putting socks on. He checked the clock and it was 8am. That surprised him to no end. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept so late since he wasn't drinking nearly as much these days. He still drank every day but not by the bottle like he used to. He stretched and yawned as he sauntered down the stairs and found nobody there. He shrugged then went to the fridge and got himself a blood bag. He went into the living room and stuck in the disc he'd gotten to in Prison Break and stretched out on the couch while he sipped his breakfast. After he'd watched a whole episode, he started wondering where Caroline was but he couldn't be bothered going to look for her.<p>

_Barbie?_ He called casually.

_Morning, babe. You just up?_ She asked back.

_Nah, been up for a while, just wondered where you were._ He said.

_At Nicky's. You coming over?_

_No, I'm busy._ He replied.

_Doing what?_ She asked confused.

_Watching Prison Break._ He chuckled.

_Just come over. You can watch that later._ She said.

_Maybe later, need to see what happens next._ He said then closed their connection. She would just bug him to go over and he was far too comfortable on the couch.

* * *

><p>"You zoned out there, were you talking to Damon?" Klaus asked her casually and she sighed.<p>

"He said he's busy watching Prison Break and he might come over later." She said annoyed.

"He's completely forgotten that it's his birthday." Stefan said amused.

"How can you forget something like that?" She asked surprised.

"It's not important to him." Stefan shrugged.

* * *

><p>Three hours later, Damon had only moved to change the disc but was still lying on the couch. He loved Caroline to death but he was immensely enjoying this time alone considering how rarely he got any these days. He was enjoying just doing nothing by himself. He heard the door open and looked up from his comfortable spot to see his darling coming in the door.<p>

"Hey." He smiled at her. He looked her over and noticed he was wearing a sexy black strapless dress. "You look hot." He smirked.

"Thanks, babe. Thought you would have come over by now." She said as she walked over to kiss him.

"Nah, I'm really comfortable." He chuckled. "And this show has me hooked."

"So you're planning on just lying on the couch all day?" She raised an eyebrow and he looked at her confused.

"Did you ask me to do something with you today and I forgot?" Damon asked and she giggled.

"You have clearly forgotten what today is." She smiled at him warmly and sat on his lap.

"What's today?" He asked cautiously. If it was something special and he'd forgotten she would be pissed. She leaned forward and kissed him.

"Happy birthday, Damon." She smiled and he chuckled.

"That's today?" He asked amused.

"169 years young today." She winked. "We've all been waiting for you over at Nicky's with presents and cake since 6.30am." She said and Damon laughed.

"I'm sorry." He said to her. "I forgot." He added. "You shouldn't have gone to all the bother though, it's not like it's a big birthday like 200 or something." He smirked and she smiled at him kindly.

"Maybe not, but it's your first birthday that we're spending together." She said.

"You're too cute for my own good." Damon smirked and she giggled. "Can I have a birthday wish?" He asked mischievously.

"Today is your day, babe. We'll celebrate however you want." She said.

"All I want to do today is hang out with you and watch Prison Break." Damon said and she laughed.

"Could you come over to Nicky's for just five minutes?" She asked him innocently with the face he couldn't say no to.

"If I must." He smirked.

"Then after everyone's said happy birthday and you've opened your presents, you and I will come back here and I'll give you your birthday treat." She said as she bit his ear playfully and he shuddered.

"Birthday treat, huh?" He grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"After." She winked and he huffed.

"Fine." He sighed and paused his show then stood up and pulled a pair of slip-ons on.

"Aren't you going to change?" She asked curiously and he chuckled.

"No." He replied and she giggled then took his hand and they started over to Klaus' house. Damon noticed a huge van parked in the driveway when they got there and he raised an eyebrow at it but didn't comment. They walked in the open door and everyone shouted happy birthday and Damon chuckled. "Thanks. Sorry about the wait – I forgot." He smirked and they laughed.

"I figured." Stefan smiled.

"Presents!" Caroline chirped and Damon chuckled.

"Happy birthday, Damon." Bonnie smiled at him and gave him a small black box he opened it and there was a tiny slim silver chain with an oddly shaped blue stone hanging from it. Bonnie could see him wondering what the hell it was and she chuckled. "It's a protection amulet for Viktor." She said and Damon looked stunned then grinned.

"That's really wonderful, Bonnie. Thank you." Damon smiled at her then kissed her cheek. Damon wasn't the type that wanted lavish things bought for him but the amulet for his son was the best kind of gift he could be given and Bonnie knew that. She had the money to buy him an expensive gift but she knew he'd appreciate the amulet more.

"Bon! That's amazing!" Caroline hugged her best friend. Though it was for Damon's birthday, that was a special gift for Caroline too.

"Glad you both like it." She smiled.

"Happy birthday." Seth smiled. "Don't take mine too seriously." Seth smirked as he handed Damon a box. Damon unwrapped it and opened the box to reveal brand new plain black bowling shoes and he laughed out loud.

"You do know I'll never wear these, right?" Damon smirked and Seth laughed.

"Damon." Caroline chastised him and Seth chuckled.

"It's cool, Cookie. It was just a joke anyway." Seth winked at her.

"Thanks." Damon smirked at him.

"You never know, one day you might lose a bet to Cookie and have to wear them." Seth grinned and Damon rolled his eyes. Of course she would do that now.

"You might just." Caroline grinned at Damon and he chuckled.

"Yes, dear." Damon said and they laughed.

"Zara left you a present." Klaus smirked and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Is it a picture of her in a bikini?" Damon asked and Klaus rolled his eyes as they all laughed.

"No, it's actually really for the two of you but she wanted you to have it today anyway." Klaus smiled and handed over a tiny box with a card. Damon opened it to reveal a DVD.

"Home movie." Damon smirked. "Even better." He quipped and Klaus chuckled.

"Just put it on, Damon." Klaus said and Damon went over to the TV and stuck the DVD in the machine and pressed play. Damon's jaw dropped as he watched a 4D scan of Viktor. He could see his face and watch him move and part of the DVD showed the heart beat monitor and he was watching the first glimpse of his son. Tears welled up in his eyes as he kept watching the scan. Caroline sat down beside him with her own tears streaming down her face.

"He looks like you." Caroline said to Damon and he nodded because he could see it too.

"How?" Damon asked in disbelief and they all saw big bad vampire Damon Salvatore with tears streaming down his cheeks but they couldn't exactly comment since most of them were tearing up too.

"She arranged for Noelle to come in two days ago when she was 21 weeks to have this done in time for your birthday." Klaus grinned though he was a little teary himself.

"This is incredible." Damon whispered then they all chuckled when he replayed it again.

"We need to call and thank her." Caroline said and Damon nodded and fished out his phone and gave it to her because he was in no state to really talk at the moment. Caroline called Zara and gave her a tearful thank you and Zara was so pleased that they liked it. Damon decided that he would no longer make jokes about Zara being hot because she was clearly a very special person to have done this for them. Zara had agreed to come with them for their second wedding and had been over the moon at Caroline's request that she be a bridesmaid. Damon felt all sappy and watched it a few more times, not caring in the slightest that the others were around to see him be all mushy... That was his son and he looked like him.

A while later, Caroline was dishing out birthday cake and they decided to continue with the presents. Stefan handed over a wrapped package and Damon opened it to reveal a plain black John Varvatos t-shirt and Damon laughed considering Stefan had stabbed him once ruining one he had.

"Thanks, Stef." Damon winked at him and Stefan laughed.

"That was a joke, this is the real one." Stefan said then handed him a little box. Damon opened it to reveal a first edition copy of Gone With The Wind signed by Margaret Mitchell.

"This is great, Stef." Damon grinned at him and gave him a hug.

"My turn." Ric said and handed Damon a box. Damon opened it to reveal a bottle of rum with a plain label that said 'Rum – Made in Virginia 1844' and Damon's jaw dropped.

"Fuck man!" Damon exclaimed. "This is awesome!" Damon grinned then hugged his friend. "How the hell did you find this? I've actually had this before." Damon laughed.

"I don't think its drinkable." Ric smirked and Damon laughed.

"Fermenting this long? One drink and we'd be smashed." Damon chuckled.

"Last gift before Caroline explains the van outside." Klaus laughed.

"I just figured she was redecorating." Damon smirked and they all laughed. Klaus handed him a satchel and Damon opened it curiously then his eyes widened. "Is that..." Damon asked in disbelief.

"An 11th century dagger." Klaus grinned. "It's from when I was human." Klaus said and Ric gasped in historical glee.

"This is so cool." Damon grinned as he looked it over and tried it out in his hand. He knew he would never use it considering the historical meaning behind it but it was a fabulous piece. "Thanks." Damon grinned at Klaus then hugged him.

"Okay can you play with your new toy later? I want to give you mine now!" Caroline exclaimed and Damon looked at her in disbelief.

"Toy?" Damon asked her like she was crazy.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't care. C'mon." She grinned and started to pull him outside and he chuckled. The others followed them out as they all knew what she'd done. Caroline led Damon to the back of the enormous van then stood behind him and covered his eyes. "Will someone open the doors?" She grinned and Klaus went and opened them. She uncovered Damon's eyes and he gasped and blinked in disbelief.

"My girl!" Damon exclaimed and grinned at the sight of the car he hadn't seen in 6 months. "But..."

"Before you start complaining." Caroline said. "Nobody drove her. She was rolled into the van and brought here and before you start about the yearly service, Nicky helped me track down a classic car specialist up in Zwaagdijk called Nico Baas Triumph Centre. They know all about '67 Mustangs and can order any original parts that you would need." She grinned at him and he crashed his lips to hers and kissed her like the world was going to end.

"Best wife ever." Damon grinned and she laughed. "You have no idea how much I've missed her." Damon said as he grinned at his baby in the van.

"Yeah, I do. You complain about it at least once a day." Caroline pointed out and he chuckled.

"Care to go for a drive, Mrs Salvatore?" Damon smirked and she giggled.

"Of course." She smiled at him and he jumped into the van, pulled down the ramp, got in the car and took his spare key from the glove compartment and drove her down. Damon was grinning from ear to ear and the group were laughing at the sheer joy on his face. Once out of the van, Caroline got in and waved at them all and Damon drove away.

"I think I could actually orgasm from how happy I am to drive her again." Damon smirked and she laughed.

"I do have one other thing for you but it's actually from my mom. She sent it over a couple of weeks ago but I didn't want to give you it in front of everyone." She said and Damon pulled in to the side of the road.

"You have me intrigued." Damon smirked. Caroline reached into her purse and pulled out a wrapped box and handed it to him. He unwrapped it and when he saw what was inside he stared in disbelief then covered his eyes with his hand as tears welled from his eyes. It was an original photograph of him sitting in his mother's lap when he was five years old and he realised the tears weren't going to stop so he looked over to Caroline who was smiling at him. "This is unbelievable." He said to her shakily and she leaned forward and kissed him.

"She was going through the founders photo archives to make sure there wasn't any evidence of you and Stefan that could be found by the other council members and she found that photo." Caroline smiled.

"I don't have any pictures of her. My father burned them all when she died." Damon sobbed.

"Now you do." Caroline smiled at him and took his hand. "She was so beautiful." Caroline said as she looked at the photo. "You look just like her." She added.

"Stefan always thought that was why father hated me so much." Damon nodded. "Caroline, this is going to sound terrible – but I'd forgotten what she looked like. Thank you so much for this." He said in a whisper.

"My mom has a whole bunch of pictures that she totally stole for you but she figured that one would be the most important to you." Caroline said.

"I love your mother." Damon chuckled and wiped his eyes.

"Are you having a nice birthday?" Caroline smiled at him and he smirked.

"This is my best birthday ever." Damon grinned. "I mean with Bonnie making the amulet for Vik then Zara sending that video and now the picture..." Damon took a deep breath and wiped his eyes again. "And my car." Damon chuckled.

"And you haven't even seen the raunchy lingerie I have in store for you." Caroline winked and Damon chuckled.

"I think we should go home and have a look at this lingerie." He cocked an eyebrow and she giggled.

"You got it, Salvatore." She replied and he drove home like a bat out of hell.

* * *

><p>It was late and they'd spent the afternoon and evening exploring fantasy lingerie. The couple were curled up on the couch watching Prison Break and they'd started from the beginning so Caroline would know the story line. She was just as hooked as Damon after the first episode.<p>

"You really made my birthday perfect." Damon said to her then kissed her.

"I'm glad." She grinned.


	17. Turning

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 17

* * *

><p>Damon bought a glass display cabinet for his and Caroline's bedroom and he showcased his birthday presents in it. The bottle from Ric, the weapon from Klaus and the book from Stefan were all kept on the top shelf and he kept the protection amulet from Bonnie in the hidden safe down in the man cave. It had been two weeks since Damon's birthday and they were all recovered from Damon's death – except for Caroline. She still had nightmares and woke up screaming. Not every night but it was still happening. Damon was worried about her to say the least and she still hadn't let up much on going everywhere with him. He couldn't even comprehend how she'd felt that day since he couldn't even let himself think about how he would feel if the positions were reversed so he didn't call her on it.<p>

Bonnie and Seth were officially an item and Bonnie was getting along surprisingly well with Klaus. He'd taken her to his library and given her access to any spell books that she wanted to read or use and they found themselves becoming friends. It helped things along when Bonnie met Zara. Zara had been around more and more and Bonnie could see how smitten Klaus was with her and she was just the sweetest girl. Zara was 22 so she was a little older than Bonnie but Zara could get along with anyone. The group were shocked at Damon's dramatic change with her too. He never made any comments about her anymore at all. Klaus had gotten so used to it that he'd been surprised at Damon's new behaviour. Bonnie and Seth had transferred their studies and were going to college in the city together. Because most of the group were couples, Ric and Stefan spent a lot of time together as the only singles left and they were becoming the best of friends. Ric was still Damon's best friend but they hardly ever got to hang out anymore together considering Caroline wouldn't leave Damon's side if she didn't have to. Damon found himself missing Ric's company and he would give Caroline a little while longer before confessing to her that he needed some time with his best bud – but not too long.

Klaus and Damon had recreated their blood bond as it had been useful to them in Russia as well as continuing to feed Caroline and Stefan their blood to strengthen them. Caroline drank from Damon every day so she was nearly as strong as Stefan now since Stefan only drank every few days from Klaus or Damon.

They were all in Damon and Caroline's house and Damon was cooking lunch. Zara was at work so it was just everyone that knew there. Seth, Ric and Bonnie had talked a lot to each other about turning and they'd all come to a decision. When Damon was finished cooking, Caroline set the table and served the food and they all sat down together to have lunch.

"So, Seth and I have been talking and we want to turn." Ric announced.

"We know this." Damon said confused.

"Yeah I know but we mean like... now." Ric smirked and Damon chuckled.

"I thought you wanted to wait until after Liz and Roger's wedding?" Klaus asked surprised.

"Well, you and Damon have told us many times that you'll age us with your blood and we have over a month until the wedding. Shouldn't be an issue then, right?" Ric asked.

"True." Klaus nodded.

"I'm turning Seth." Caroline said with a grin.

"Who's turning me? Stef?" Ric asked.

"Sure." Stefan nodded.

"Who is all going to the wedding?" Damon asked.

"I think I'm the only one not going." Klaus smirked.

"You can come, Nicky." Caroline said like it was obvious and he chuckled.

"Honestly, I don't mind staying. It would be good to have some time with Zara." Klaus said and Damon nodded.

"Then take her with you." Damon shook his head. "I don't like leaving you here alone while we all go to the States. There are still Originals prowling around." Damon pointed out.

"I'm not a baby vampire, Damon." Klaus smirked.

"Maybe not, but if enough witches turned up they could be a threat to you." Damon pointed out.

"I will consider it." Klaus nodded.

"So do you two want to turn today then?" Damon asked casually as he got stuck in to his lunch.

"Sure." Seth nodded as did Ric.

"Do you want to be compelled?" Caroline asked Ric and he nodded to her.

"This might be a weird question... but what's the least scary way to die?" Seth asked.

"Draining." Damon, Klaus and Stefan said together and the others chuckled.

"You can have my blood Ric, but I don't want to kill you." Stefan said apologetically.

"I'll kill you." Damon shrugged and they laughed.

"You're just pissed it didn't stick the first time." Ric smirked and Damon deadpanned.

"You know that's not true." Damon said.

"I was kidding." Ric smiled and Damon nodded.

"Bonnie, you sure you want to hang out with six vampires?" Damon smirked and she smiled softly.

"Well, I'd actually like to turn too." She said and Damon, Caroline, Stefan and Klaus' jaws dropped.

"What?" They said in unison.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" She asked surprised.

"Yes." They said and she giggled.

"I've been thinking about it since Damon suggested it in Mystic Falls." She said.

"I wasn't serious when I said that." Damon pointed out.

"You would then be a vampire witch." Klaus said to her then looked at Damon a little alarmed. Damon met Klaus' eyes and they had a silent agreement that neither of them liked this.

"I'm not going to try to kill either of you." She said noticing Klaus' expression as Damon had been killed by a vampire witch.

"If I was worried about you killing me, Judgy, you wouldn't be in Amsterdam with us." Damon smirked at her. Caroline took Damon's hand as she could feel the tears welling in her eyes. Damon looked at her and sighed. He pulled her from her chair into his lap. "You have to stop this, Barbie." Damon said as he held her.

"I'm sorry." She said in a whisper and he rolled his eyes.

"You're being a little drama queen." He said to her and she laughed despite her tears.

"Jackass." She said and he smirked at her.

"You should be happy that your best friend wants to turn, not sad about something that happened a month ago that didn't stick." He pointed out even though he was not happy about her request to turn.

"I am happy about that." She nodded.

"Well stop being all weepy then." He smirked and she rolled her eyes and got off his lap and sat down in her seat again.

"Ass." She said and he chuckled.

"I got you to stop crying though, didn't I?" He grinned smugly and they all laughed.

"Are you sure about this, Bonnie?" Stefan asked her and she smiled.

"Yes." Bonnie nodded.

"Do you want me to be your sire?" Caroline asked with a smile.

"Sure." Bonnie smiled.

"Three new vampires in one day." Damon smirked. "It's a good thing we live out in the middle of nowhere."

"Damon, you know you said you wanted to train me?" Seth asked and Damon nodded. "What do you mean by that?" Seth asked.

"Teaching you how to feed from a human." Damon shrugged.

"Why would we have to do that?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Every vampire has to know how to fresh feed." Stefan replied. "You don't want to end up like I did. You need to learn control." He said.

"The hybrid blood will age you so the initial bloodlust won't be there so you won't feel the strong need to kill, but there may come a time when you'll have to fresh feed and if you don't know how to do it, you could easily kill someone." Damon explained. "Since I know you won't want to kill anyone, it's essential." Damon said. He hoped telling her all of this would change her mind.

"Also, if you don't know how to bite properly you could make the victim bleed to death." Klaus added with a nod.

"Couldn't I just feed from animals then?" Bonnie asked and Klaus and Damon looked at each other and were surprised when Caroline replied.

"If your plan is to feed from animals, you'd be just as well to stay human." Caroline replied startling Bonnie.

"Why?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Because the bunny diet keeps you weak and vulnerable. There's no room for weakness when you're a vampire. Especially in this group." Caroline said and Damon smiled at her proudly.

"You are so hot right now." Damon said seductively in her ear and she smirked at him then her face changed and he groaned. "Tease." He said and she giggled and changed her face back.

"Later." She winked at him and he huffed earning a laugh from everyone. "You should really think about this, Bonnie. We do human things, we have human feelings and responsibilities but we're not human. I would kill a human to protect you, Bonnie. You and everyone else in this room." Caroline added seriously and Bonnie looked taken aback.

"I couldn't have said it better, darling." Klaus smiled at her.

"This training... You wouldn't let anyone die for it though, right?" Bonnie asked.

"If that's what you want, we wouldn't let you kill anyone." Damon confirmed.

"If it's what I want?" She asked surprised. "So hypothetically, if I said to you, I would like to kill someone, you'd let me?" She asked and he chuckled.

"Yes, of course." Damon nodded. "If I wanted to kill someone, nobody would be able to stop me from doing it, so what right do I have to do that to you?" He asked. "If you said, absolutely under no circumstances do you want to kill then I would stop you." Damon nodded.

"Okay." She nodded. "Why am I the only one asking stuff?" Bonnie looked at Seth and Ric.

"We've already had all of this explained." Seth said.

"We already asked our questions." Ric added.

"Why don't you think about it for a while? You can watch Ric and the Captain and see for yourself." Damon shrugged.

* * *

><p>A few hours later the group were sitting around the couches.<p>

"So?" Damon asked. "You going vamp now?" He smirked at Damon and Ric.

"Sure." Ric said then Caroline went over to him and looked him in the eyes.

"You will not be nervous or afraid." She compelled him then did the same to Seth.

"I'm ready, Cookie." Seth smiled and she bit into her wrist and offered it to him. He drank down her blood until she pulled her wrist away.

"Ric?" Stefan said then sat next to him and bit into his own wrist and Ric drank from him after taking off his magic ring and giving it to Bonnie. Damon and Klaus went silently and stood behind Ric and Seth without them noticing. When Ric was done Damon glanced at Klaus then in a flash Damon snapped Ric's neck and Klaus snapped Seth's causing the rest of the room to gasp.

"What did you do it that way for?" Caroline gaped.

"They didn't see it coming." Damon smiled at her.

"They would have felt nothing." Klaus added.

"How long until they wake up?" Bonnie asked curiously and the hybrids shrugged.

"Twenty minutes, maybe?" Klaus asked.

"Their bodies are changing with the blood, it might take longer or it might go quicker." Damon shrugged.

"I'll go get them blood." Caroline said then zipped into the kitchen to grab two blood bags then came back through.

"Damon, you and I can share our blood with them after they have transitioned." Klaus said.

"How often do you think we should do it?" Damon asked curiously.

"We should do it twice a day for a few days then every day after that for a few weeks." He replied. "Zara and Bonnie need to be able to be around them." He said and Damon nodded.

"Bonnie can aneurism them if she needs to." Damon smirked and Klaus chuckled. About fifteen minutes later, Ric opened his eyes.

"Well, this feels weird." Ric said rubbing his neck. "What happened?" He asked as he'd been sure they were going to drain him.

"I snapped your neck." Damon replied surprising him.

"I didn't feel anything." Ric nodded and Damon smiled.

"Good." He grinned.

"I wish that'd been how I went." Caroline agreed.

"How were you killed?" Ric asked curiously.

"Katherine smothered me with a pillow." She replied and Damon's expression grew dark.

"I really want to bring that bitch back to life just so I can kill her again." Damon said and Caroline smiled at him.

"Agreed." Klaus smirked.

"So, here's your blood." Caroline smiled at Ric and handed him a mug full of blood. He drank it down in one big gulp and his face changed. "You suit the vamp look, Ric." Caroline winked at him and he chuckled and stood up then went to look in the mirror.

"That's weird." He said looking at his bloodshot eyes, the dark veins and he lifted his lips to look at his fangs.

"You get used to it." Damon smirked. Seth opened his eyes moments later. "Welcome back." Damon winked at him and Seth chuckled.

"This feels weird." Seth said and they laughed.

"I said the same thing." Ric smirked. "Uh... Am I supposed to be able to hear Bonnie's heartbeat like that?" Ric asked wide eyed and Damon chuckled and walked over to him.

"Have some blood before you try and snack on Judgy." Damon held up his wrist.

"You want me to bite you?" Ric asked cocking an eyebrow and Damon laughed.

"Just do it, Ric. It won't hurt me." Damon smirked amused.

"Fine." Ric shrugged then bit down hard causing Damon to hiss.

"You did that on purpose." Damon rolled his eyes and Ric smirked as he drank.

"Here." Caroline handed Seth another mug to transition. He drank it down as Ric had then his face changed. "Ooh, you look hot vamped too." She smiled and he laughed.

"Thanks, Cookie." He winked at her.

"Yeah, Captain, you're just soooo hot." Damon said in a high pitched mocking voice and Seth laughed.

"You jealous?" Seth asked amused and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Why would I be jealous? I get to bang her." Damon winked and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Such a gentleman." Caroline said wryly and Damon chuckled.

"Yes, dear." Damon smirked and they laughed. "You trying to drain me dry, Ric?" Damon asked amused and Ric pulled away.

"You're blood tastes like bourbon." Ric said amused and they all laughed.

"Makes sense." Damon shrugged.

"Seth." Klaus offered his wrist to Seth who bit into it with no hesitation as this had been their agreement. Damon disappeared out of the room and came back in with two sun rings for them as Bonnie had made a bunch of them so there would always be extras just in case.

"Here." Damon gave the ring to Ric.

"Thanks." Ric grinned and slid it on his finger. "Thanks Bonnie." Ric said.

"You're welcome." She smiled.

"You should probably cut that stone out of my shoulder." Damon said.

"You might need it someday." Bonnie shrugged then Seth pulled away from Klaus' wrist and Damon handed him a ring and he put it on and thanked them.

"Let's go, Ric." Damon smirked and nodded to the door.

"For what?" Ric asked.

"Feeding." Damon replied.

"Already?" Ric asked curiously.

"Mmhmm." Damon said.

"I'll come too." Caroline smiled.

_Barbie, I love you, but you need to let me go without you._ Damon said to her.

_Why?_ She asked and he could tell she was nervous.

_Because I promised Ric that he and I would do this together._

_But..._

_Caroline. You have to let me go._ Damon said softly

_Please, be careful._ She pleaded and he walked over to her and kissed her.

_Nothing's going to happen, my sweet. We'll be careful._ Damon assured her.

_Okay._ She replied reluctantly and he kissed her again.

"Let's go, Ric." Damon said and the two of them left. Ric was astounded at how fast he could move and found the experience of them running into town to be exhilarating. It was just beginning to get dark and they went to a quiet area and waited in an alley.

"I can't remember the last time you and I did something together." Ric said amused and Damon nodded.

"I know. Barbie is finding it difficult to let me out of her sight." Damon said annoyed.

"It's okay, Damon. She just needs time to get over what happened." He replied.

"Yeah, but not to sound like a sap but I miss just hanging out with you." Damon said and Ric chuckled.

"Yeah, me too. But now we've got eternity, right?" Ric smirked and Damon grinned.

"I'm really glad you turned." Damon smiled.

"Me too." Ric nodded. "We should pick up pot brownies and hang out in the cave." Ric suggested and Damon laughed.

"Absolutely." Damon agreed. Soon it was dark and Damon spotted someone coming down the street and he yanked the guy into the alley and compelled him to stand still. Damon showed Ric where and how to bite and told him when to stop. Ric found it difficult to stop but he managed thanks to the hybrid blood. Damon showed Ric how to compel and Ric compelled the guy to forget what happened. When they were done, the two of them stopped in a bakery and picked up bags and bags of pot brownies since they knew everyone else would want in on it. Klaus was taking Seth out in town to do the same thing and they'd swap the next day until the new vampires were a little better and Damon could take both of them at the same time. Damon and Ric shared their pot brownies then the two of them went down to the man cave to hang out with each other alone since they hadn't done so in over a month.

* * *

><p>Damon and Klaus continued to let the new vampires feed from them twice a day for a few days and soon neither had any overpowering urges at all. Stefan was secretly jealous of how easy they had it compared to his own experiences. A couple of days after they turned, both were completely at ease around Bonnie and Zara and Bonnie watched them closely to see if she really wanted to turn. Ric and Seth both loved their new vampire statuses and Klaus started taking them to the library to train them since both were eager to get started. Caroline decided not to go back to Mystic Falls early as she refused to leave Damon and he wouldn't go because of Seth and Ric being just turned. Instead, she fired the wedding planner and got a new one who would do as instructed. A week after Seth and Ric turned... Bonnie was convinced that she wanted to turn too. Damon and Klaus weren't pleased to say the least. The two of them went down to the village bar to talk about it.<p>

"Damon, she is powered by 100 witches, adding the new power she would get from turning could make her unstoppable." Klaus said and Damon nodded.

"I don't like it either. If she were just a regular witch then I wouldn't care as much but she isn't." Damon said. "I never thought for a million years that she would choose to turn when I jokingly suggested it." Damon said.

"What shall we do then?" Klaus asked. "I know she is Caroline's best friend but I have to say I don't like the idea that she might not like some decision that you and I make and she stops us just because she can." Klaus said.

"She's too judgy to be in a position of that much power." Damon agreed. "I will never trust her completely, even if I do like her and consider her a friend."

"I like her also, but I don't trust her." Klaus agreed.

"Well." Damon sighed. "We need to tell everyone how we feel about this." Damon said.

"Caroline is not going to be happy." Klaus said.

"Then we won't expressly say that she isn't allowed to turn. We will say that we refuse to give her our blood to strengthen her." Damon smirked and Klaus grinned at Damon's sneakiness.

* * *

><p>Damon called everyone over to Klaus' house to talk about it.<p>

"Is this about me turning?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Yes." Klaus said.

"Klaus and I feel it would be irresponsible to turn you." Damon replied and everyone else's jaws dropped.

"Why?" Caroline exclaimed.

"If Bonnie were to be turned she would possibly become the only creature in the world that could not be killed." Klaus said.

"Why would I need to be killed?" Bonnie asked annoyed.

"Klaus and I can kill each other and be killed by a vampire witch as I know all too well." Damon replied and Caroline winced. "We are not unstoppable. If either of us ever became a serious threat, we could be taken out. With you being powered by 100 witches, no regular vampire witch could kill you and neither could we as you could stop us." Damon replied. "There has to be a balance, Bonnie. As a witch you should know that. And before you go getting any ideas, Caroline..." Damon shot her a knowing look. "If you turn, Bonnie, you should know Klaus and I will not give you our blood to strengthen you." Damon said honestly.

"So you don't trust me?" Bonnie asked hurt.

"It's not about trust, Bonnie. You don't know what's going to happen down the road. In like 500 years time, you might decide that you want to start the apocalypse or something and nobody could stop you." Damon replied. "Think of it this way... How would you feel if I became completely unstoppable? Then what if one day Caroline died and I went on a rampage and nobody could stop me?" Damon asked her honestly. "Do you think I was always capable of going on a murderous rampage? No. But being a vampire changes you in time and it would be beyond reckless to turn you." Damon said.

"I understand what you're saying." Bonnie replied. "What if I release the power?" She asked him.

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked curiously.

"I can give up the other power." She replied. "Then I would only have my own." She said.

"Couldn't you get it back?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and she shook her head.

"It was a onetime only kind of deal. If I release it, the power will be lost." She replied.

"Before you do anything drastic like that..." Damon started. "You should know that Emily considered vampirism to be a curse. She would not have liked one of her heirs becoming one of us." Damon added.

"Why would you tell me that?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Don't you think it's better I'm honest with you before you do something you might regret rather than after?" Damon asked.

"Damon, I think you're being really unfair." Caroline said.

"Let me ask you this then." He said to her. "When you were human, could you have ever imagined that you would ever kill anyone?" He asked her and she winced.

"No." She replied honestly.

"But you have." Damon replied. "All we are saying is that it's too great a risk. Nobody should ever be completely unstoppable." He said.

"I respect your concerns." Bonnie said. "And if I were in your position I would feel the same." She admitted.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Bonnie." Damon said. "I do trust you but I would never trust anyone with absolute power." He replied.

"I agree." She nodded. "I didn't put two and two together until now." She said. "I'll release the power." She said surprising Damon. "On the condition that you have my back." Bonnie looked into Damon's eyes.

"Always." Damon nodded. "Are you sure about this?" Damon asked her for confirmation.

"I'm sure. I actually really love it here with all of you and I'm looking forward to the babies coming then being involved in the hunting. I chose to be a part of this world when I came here." She said.

"We're happy to have you here." Caroline smiled at her best friend.

* * *

><p>Bonnie went into the woods with Damon and Caroline and set up the spell. She lit up the ground with flames and they watched her chant and they both felt it the moment the power was released as they were both knocked over by it. Bonnie slumped forward on the ground once the flames went out and Damon rushed over to her and picked her up bridal style. Blood streamed from her nose.<p>

"You alright?" Damon asked her concerned.

"I'm fine... Just weak." She replied and he nodded.

"Should we turn her now?" Caroline asked Damon.

"Did it work?" Damon asked Bonnie. He stared into her eyes looking for the truth.

"Yes." She said and he could see the honesty there. "But..." She said and he raised an eyebrow.

"But?" He asked her.

"They took away my own powers." She whispered and his eyes bugged.

"What? Why?" He asked in disbelief.

"They will be returned to me once I prove myself as a vampire." She replied and he looked confused.

"Prove yourself how?" He asked.

"They need to see that I will not be a threat." She replied and he sighed.

"Witches." He shook his head. "Such judgy little things." He snorted.

"Damon..." She whispered. "This leaves me completely vulnerable." She said fearfully and his expression softened.

"Bonnie, we won't allow any harm to come to you." Damon said softly. "I give you my word."

"What about going in the sun?" She asked him.

"You made rings." He said to her confused.

"I can't wear a sun ring that I made. It won't work." She replied.

"Then Klaus will have Magdalena make you one." Damon countered. "Don't worry, okay?"

"I trust you." Bonnie said and Damon smiled at her.

"Good." He said. "Let's turn you then." He added and she nodded. Damon sat down on the ground, keeping Bonnie in his lap and Caroline sat across from them and bit into her wrist and offered it to Bonnie. Bonnie drank down the blood until Caroline pulled away.

"How are you going to do it?" She looked at Damon a little frightened.

_Hold her hands, Barbie._ Damon said and Caroline took Bonnie's hands as he turned her body so that his chest rested against her back. He hugged her close to him.

"Just talk to, Barbie. I'll make sure you feel no pain." Damon said to her and she nodded. Damon leaned his head to rest over her shoulder then he softly licked and sucked at Bonnie's neck until he felt her relax. He allowed his face to change and he gently allowed his fangs to sink into her neck and he was pleased when she didn't even flinch. He drank slowly and softly as he held her close and Caroline held her hands. Bonnie thought the way he was doing it was one of the most pleasurable things she'd ever felt and had to concentrate so she wouldn't moan. Damon kept drinking and Bonnie found herself feeling so relaxed she wanted to take a little nap so she closed her eyes with a small smile on her face. This was never what she had imagined dying would feel like. Damon drank until he heard her heart stop then he pulled away and licked his lips. Caroline let go of one of Bonnie's limp hands and took Damon's in hers.

"I wish that was how it happened for me." Caroline smiled softly at him.

"I just couldn't bring myself to snap her neck. She looked so small and fragile." Damon said heavily.

"Thank you for being so perfect." Caroline said to him and Damon chuckled.

"I'm so far from perfect its funny." Damon replied and Caroline shook her head.

"I love you so much." She replied and he smirked at her.

"I love you too." Damon replied. "Let's get her home so she can transition." Damon said then lifted Bonnie into his arms and the two of them walked back to their house. Soon they arrived back and Seth's eyes bugged at the sight of Bonnie.

"What happened?" Seth asked then he saw the bite mark. "Oh, she's turning?" He asked.

"No, I just killed her." Damon shrugged and Seth rolled his eyes.

"Cookie would never let you just kill her." Seth replied and Damon smirked.

"True." Damon said then he lay Bonnie down on the couch. Damon called Klaus and asked him to get a ring from Magdalena. Klaus agreed and promised she would have it by the end of the day. They saw her neck wound heal and not half an hour later Bonnie opened her eyes. Only Damon, Seth and Caroline were there as the others hadn't known she was going to turn in the woods.

"Hey." Caroline grinned at her. "How you feeling?" She asked.

"Ridiculously relaxed." Bonnie replied and Damon chuckled.

"Side effect of the draining." He replied.

"Is it terrible that I thoroughly enjoyed my death?" Bonnie asked and Damon grinned.

"No." He shook his head. "I'm glad."

"Drink." Caroline said as she handed over a mug of blood. Bonnie drank it down and screwed up her face.

"Is that supposed to be like drinking flat soda?" She asked and Damon laughed.

"Yeah." Damon nodded. "You'll like fresh blood better." Damon replied.

"Oh my god, Bon! You look so beautiful!" Caroline grinned when Bonnie's true face came out.

"You do." Seth smiled at her. Bonnie stood up and looked in the mirror. She was surprised to see the dark veins and the red surrounding her green eyes. She ran her tongue over her fangs and it was surreal.

"That's weird." She laughed.

"What? That you're now a creature of horror stories?" Damon smirked and Bonnie laughed.


	18. Mystic Falls

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

The Road Ahead

Chapter 18

* * *

><p>Damon nagged at Klaus the remaining weeks before the wedding until Klaus eventually agreed to come with them to Mystic Falls just to shut Damon up. Zara couldn't get time off work though so Klaus made Damon promise they would come back for New Year since he was missing Christmas with her. The wedding was on Christmas Eve so they were all flying from Amsterdam on the 20th of December by private jet straight into Charlottesville so Caroline could look over everything to make sure it was up to her standards. Since their move to Amsterdam, Caroline had almost daily contact with her mother so Liz was completely fine with Klaus coming as Caroline talked about him with such high regard. Caroline told her mother that she loved Klaus like a brother and was one of the most important people in her life. Caroline would be wearing a pale pink strapless knee length dress with a puffball skirt adorned with a satin ribbon and flower at the waist to the wedding since she was her mother's matron of honour. They were just about to land into Charlottesville when Caroline remembered something.<p>

"Damon?" She asked and he looked up from his spot next to Ric. Caroline was sitting in Klaus' knee as usual. "Uh... I forgot to tell you something." She said awkwardly and he smirked at her.

"I already know Lockwood's going to the wedding." He said and she looked at him confused.

"How?" She asked and he chuckled.

"Liz called me to ask if it was okay to invite him." Damon smirked. "It's cool if you want to hang out with him while we're there." Damon shrugged.

"Really?" She asked sceptically and he rolled his eyes.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Why?" She cocked an eyebrow and he laughed.

"Because, although I adore you beyond words... you need to get back to your normal social butterfly self." He said and she huffed.

"I'm getting better." She muttered and they all laughed.

"What Damon really means is he just doesn't want to be dragged through all the wedding stuff." Klaus teased and Damon nodded.

"That about sums it up." Damon smirked and she laughed.

"Fine, I'll try to ease up on being glued to you." She said and he smiled.

"Unless you plan to be naked... then you can be glued to me all you want." Damon countered and they laughed.

"Hasn't the novelty worn off yet?" Bonnie asked Damon and he looked positively stunned.

"Are you kidding me?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"No." She smiled. "It can't still be as exciting now as it was when you first got married." She said and Damon laughed.

"You've obviously never experienced Barbie in the sack." Damon smirked and they laughed. "Ooh, nice image though." Damon grinned and Caroline and Bonnie rolled their eyes while the boys chuckled.

"Is Elena invited to the wedding?" Stefan asked hesitantly.

"No." Caroline shook her head. "It's only my mom's closest friends and family and us." Caroline replied. "She didn't want anything major since it's not her first wedding."

"Does your mother know yet that she's honeymooning in Hawaii?" Damon asked.

"No. She knows that they are flying out on the 26th but she doesn't know where yet." Caroline shrugged.

"Why aren't they going on the 25th?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"So we can have Christmas with them." She shrugged and Damon's eyes bugged.

"What? Why are we doing Christmas with them? I thought we were having Christmas when we get back to Amsterdam?" Damon asked annoyed.

"Well, we're having our group Christmas when we get back since Zara couldn't come, doesn't mean you and I aren't doing Christmas morning with them." Caroline said and Damon sighed in annoyance.

"Can't you just do that? Do I really have to be included in everything?" Damon asked crossing his arms over his chest and she giggled.

"That's what happens when you get married. It's called compromise." She pointed out.

"How is that a compromise? I don't want to go, you do want to go, but I still have to go." Damon said and the boys tried to stop themselves from laughing at him.

"You should know that I brought the sexy girl Santa outfit as your reward." Caroline smirked and he raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I'll go." He said and they all burst out laughing.

* * *

><p>They arrived quite late into Mystic Falls so they all just went to the boarding house, had a couple of drinks then called it a night. Caroline had to get up early to go see her mother, the wedding planner and get everything checked. Bonnie went to visit her dad for the day leaving the five boys together. They decided to go hang out at the grill for the day while they waited on Caroline. Late in the afternoon Damon and Klaus sat in a booth next to each other having a drink as they watched Seth beat Stefan and Ric at darts. Being a vampire had only made Seth better. Damon had politely declined when asked to play much to the other's amusement. Tyler came in the door and went over to say hi to Stefan until he noticed Damon lounging in a booth sitting next to Klaus.<p>

"Hey Damon." Tyler said nervously.

"Lockwood." Damon nodded. "How is eternity treating you?" He asked curiously and Tyler smiled.

"It's great now. Thanks for helping me." He said.

"Want to join us for a drink?" Damon asked motioning to the free seat opposite him and Klaus.

"Sure." Tyler nodded. Damon was trying to make an effort for Caroline. Tyler sat down and Damon compelled the bartender silently to come over.

"Tell him what you want." Damon said after he'd ordered a double bourbon each for him and Klaus.

"A beer, please." Tyler said then the bar guy left. "I don't think we've met before." Tyler said to Klaus. "I'm Tyler." He stuck out his hand and Klaus shook it.

"Klaus." Klaus said and Tyler's eyes widened in disbelief.

"As in..." He started and Damon chuckled.

"As in." Damon nodded then turned to Klaus. "You get that a lot, don't you?" Damon smirked at him and Klaus chuckled.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Are you two friends?" Tyler asked surprised and Damon and Klaus laughed.

"Best of." Damon nodded. "Your compulsion wore off... You should remember what I am now." Damon replied and realisation washed over Tyler.

"Right. Sorry, I forgot." Tyler said.

"It would be safer for you if you didn't know that." Klaus said and Tyler looked confused.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because we have many enemies." Damon shrugged. "Comes with the territory."

"Alright then." Tyler nodded surprising Damon then Damon put the same compulsion he put on him when in New York.

"Are you still living in New York?" Damon asked curiously.

"Yeah, I've been staying in Bonnie's apartment." Tyler nodded and Damon smirked. "Do you know when she's coming back?" Tyler asked. "All of her stuff is still there."

"She isn't going back. She turned too." Damon said and Tyler looked shocked.

"Into a vampire?" Tyler asked quietly and Damon nodded.

"She has been staying with Damon and Caroline." Klaus added.

"I didn't see that one coming." Tyler replied honestly and Damon chuckled.

"Neither did we." Damon replied.

"How long are you all staying here?" Tyler asked.

"Until the 27th." Klaus replied. Just then Elena came into the Grill and saw Tyler but didn't see Damon and Klaus as they had their backs to the door. She walked over with a smile.

"Hey, Ty." Elena called and Tyler smiled at her.

"Hey." He replied.

"When did you get..." Elena said until she reached the table and saw Damon and Klaus sitting next to each other on the other side. "Damon and... Klaus?" She asked in disbelief.

"Hello, Elena." Klaus smiled awkwardly.

"Elena." Damon nodded.

"Why are you here?" Elena asked Klaus in fear.

"I don't want any trouble. Just here for Caroline's mother's wedding." Klaus replied and Elena's jaw dropped.

"Why?" She asked in disbelief.

"Because Caroline asked me to go." Klaus replied.

"But why?" Elena asked confused.

"Have you ever heard the term 'none of your business'?" Damon asked annoyed.

"Damon, don't be rude." Stefan said as he came down to the booth. "Hi, Elena." Stefan nodded to her.

"Hi." Elena said. "I'm going to the bar." Elena said as she felt the need to get out of there. She hurried over to the bar by herself as Stefan sat next to Tyler. Then Elena watched Bonnie and Caroline come in the door. She was about to go over until she saw a gorgeous sandy haired guy walk up to Bonnie and kiss her and saw Caroline sit on Klaus' lap and lean over to kiss Damon then she talked to Tyler. Elena felt like she'd entered an alternate universe and was stunned when Bonnie sat in the booth with the mystery guy... with Klaus. She saw Damon motion to her and Caroline and Bonnie looked over at her. Caroline jumped off of Klaus' lap and Bonnie left the guy then they ran over to her and hugged her.

"It's great to see you, Elena!" Caroline smiled at her.

"I missed you." Bonnie grinned.

"You too, but what the hell is going on?" Elena asked. "Since when do you sit in Klaus' lap? Since when does Damon talk to Tyler? Since when does Bonnie have a boyfriend that I don't know about? What else don't I know?" Elena asked.

"I'm a vampire now." Bonnie shrugged and Elena's jaw dropped.

"Since when?" She asked in disbelief.

"Over a month now." Bonnie replied. Elena glanced back at the table and saw Ric sit down next to Klaus, leaving Klaus in the middle between Ric and Damon.

"Ric talks to Klaus?" Elena asked in disbelief.

"They're really good friends." Caroline nodded.

"And Ric's a vampire now too." Bonnie said.

"Is everyone a vampire now?" Elena asked in disbelief.

"Even Tyler." Caroline nodded.

"Who's the guy?" Elena asked pointing at Seth while she tried to comprehend what they were saying.

"Bonnie's boyfriend and Damon's best friend, Seth." Caroline shrugged.

"Since when does Damon have friends?" Elena asked and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"He has three best friends, not counting Stef." Caroline replied. "Klaus, Ric and Seth. Though Damon and Stef and super close now." She said.

"I take it you and Damon worked things out then." Elena said to Caroline.

"Sure did." Caroline smiled.

"He told me you cheated on him." Elena said then she saw Damon shoot her a dirty look then got up from the table and walked over to them.

"Elena, I mean this in the nicest possible way." Damon said. "Actually, I don't. Stay the fuck out of my relationship with Barbie." Damon warned then walked back over to the table and sat back down next to Klaus leaving Elena stunned.

"That was kind of harsh." Stefan said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I hate this town." Damon said then he had a better idea. "I'm out of here." He added then got up from the table and left the Grill causing a moment of panic for Caroline. Klaus finished his drink then followed Damon out the door.

"It was nice to see you, Elena, but I better go." Caroline said then shot out the door after Damon.

"They're way past that now, it's better to just not bring it up." Bonnie said quietly to Elena.

* * *

><p>Damon was sitting next to Klaus on the couch in a dark mood when Caroline arrived at the boarding house. Given that they were both hybrids, they could go much faster than her.<p>

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked as she walked over to them.

"I just hate this town." Damon replied. "We haven't been back for a day and I already feel like running rampage." He said and Klaus patted his back.

"This place holds nothing but grim memories for you, Damon. It's understandable." Klaus said soothingly.

"Caroline." Damon said seriously. "I know I agreed to marry you here with your parents but I don't want to come back here again after this." Damon confessed and her jaw dropped.

"Never?" She asked in disbelief.

"If you want to come back here and insist I come, I will stay at the vacation house your mother gave us." Damon replied. "I don't want to spend time in this god forsaken town." He said and she nodded.

"Why don't we get married at the vacation house then?" She asked softly.

"Fine. Just not here." Damon replied.

"Why don't you and the boys head up to the house then today?" She asked him and he cocked an eyebrow.

"And leave you here unprotected?" Damon asked her and she smiled.

"I'll obviously stay up there at night, but I have to be here during the day to do wedding stuff with my mom." She said.

"I thought we were supposed to be going to dinner at your mother's tonight?" Damon asked and Caroline shrugged.

"I can cancel." She said sincerely and he felt like an ass.

"Why don't we just head up after dinner?" Damon asked and she smiled.

"If that's okay with you." She said.

"Fine." Damon nodded. "I brought the DVD if your mother wants to see it." Damon added.

"I told her about it and she can't wait to see him." Caroline grinned and Damon felt his temper dissipating at the thought of his son.

"Only 14 more weeks to go." Damon grinned and she giggled.

"I can't wait." She smiled.

"None of us can." Klaus grinned.

"When are you going to tell us what you're having?" Caroline cocked an eyebrow.

"It's top secret." Damon smirked and her eyes widened.

"You know!" She exclaimed and Damon chuckled.

"I do." Damon grinned.

"Oh, c'mon! Please, Nicky!" Caroline pleaded and he couldn't resist her.

"My twins are one of each." Klaus answered and she squealed in glee.

"That's amazing!" Caroline hugged him tightly.

"You know, Viktor and the twins are going to grow up like siblings." Damon pointed out.

"I think that'll be nice." Caroline smiled.

"As do I." Klaus winked at her.

"Have you decided on names yet?" She asked and Klaus chuckled.

"Yes." Klaus replied. "But I'm not revealing that yet." Klaus chuckled.

"Why not?" Caroline asked surprised.

"Because you can't keep anything a secret." Damon smirked and she huffed.

"Can so." She replied. "You're the one that told everyone when we found out Noelle was pregnant." She pointed out and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I told Ric." He pointed out.

"And my mom." She replied.

"Not until the 12 week mark." Damon countered.

"Whatever." She chuckled. "So the twins only have 17 weeks to go, are you getting excited?" She grinned at Klaus and he couldn't help the smile that washed over his face.

"Considering it took me 1000 years to break the curse, you would think I learned some patience." Klaus said and Damon chuckled. "But I can't wait." He grinned.

"You know, I read online that twins often come a little early." Caroline smiled and Klaus nodded.

"I would rather they didn't though, I've been reading up on that too and they can have all sorts of problems if they come early." Klaus replied.

"Yeah, we'll just have to wait until they're ready." Damon said hesitantly and Caroline realised he was thinking of Dino so she took his hand to offer some comfort.

"You know Nicky, Damon and I were talking and we think we should change our living arrangements." Caroline said and Klaus looked interested.

"In what way?" He asked curiously.

"Well, since we are going to be parents and the others aren't, we were thinking you could move in with us with the twins and the others could stay in your house. What do you think?" She asked.

"It would be safer for them with both of us there." Damon said to Klaus and Klaus nodded.

"I think that is a wonderful idea." Klaus grinned.

"I was thinking that we could build out from the living room and make a big play room for them." Caroline grinned.

"Well, you knock yourself out with that." Damon smirked at her and Klaus chuckled. "So you're in?" Damon asked Klaus casually and Klaus smiled.

"Absolutely." Klaus nodded. "Also, that means that each of our friends would have their own room in my house. It works out perfectly." He smiled. "And I love the playroom idea, darling." Klaus winked at Caroline and she giggled.

"Good. I wish Damon would be as excited about it." She shot him a look and he laughed.

"I'm sure I'll be excited about it once you've got it all done." He said. "You know the upstairs living area? We could make that like the kids' bedroom once they're bigger." Damon shrugged and Caroline beamed at him.

"That's a great idea!" She exclaimed and he chuckled. "So, can I get started with all of this when we get back?" She asked and he rolled his eyes.

"Sure, Barbie." Damon nodded.

"I'll get the rooms redecorated in both houses since everyone is moving around. Stef can still stay in his room..." She said as she thought about it.

"More decorating?" Damon asked with a groan and Klaus chuckled.

"At least we know what to expect this time." Klaus smirked at Damon and Damon laughed.

"True." He nodded.

"And I can start baby shopping!" She exclaimed. "You said that I had to wait until the New Year." She pointed out when Damon was about to object then he sighed.

"I did say that, didn't I?" Damon huffed and Klaus laughed.

"You did." Klaus smirked. "Damon and I will come with you for that, darling." Klaus said and Damon turned and gave him a look like he was crazy.

"Are you insane?" Damon asked and Klaus laughed.

"We are becoming parents for the first time... Don't you think we should be involved in things like that?" Klaus asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Well, I suppose if I don't go, Barbie will end up getting my son a pink crib or something." Damon conceded and Caroline rolled her eyes while Klaus laughed.

"Whatever." Caroline said. "I am excited that you're having a little girl though." Caroline grinned. "We already have too many boys around." She smirked and Klaus chuckled. "I only feel bad for her when she grows up." She sighed.

"Why?" Klaus asked confused and she giggled.

"Can you imagine? Daddy Klaus the Original and Uncle Damon the Crazy meeting her first boyfriend?" She asked and they laughed.

"Like she'll ever be allowed a boyfriend." Damon replied like it was the dumbest idea he'd ever heard and Klaus chuckled.

"My thoughts exactly." Klaus nodded.

"We know how terrible guys are." Damon replied.

"We were them." Klaus added and they laughed while Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Yet, you both ended up with girls who love you." She pointed out.

"Well, you and Zara could do better than us." Klaus said and Damon nodded.

"No, we couldn't." Caroline smiled at them. "By the way, why do you have a different last name from your siblings?" Caroline asked Klaus curiously.

"The way surnames worked then, you were named after your father. My siblings' father's name was Richard so their surname became Richardson, whereas my father's name was Harry so I was named Nicklaus Harrison. Though, I was Richardson until he found out that I wasn't his son." Klaus explained.

"I can't believe he did that. It wasn't your fault." Caroline said horrified and Klaus smiled at her.

"It's just the way things were then." He shrugged.

"So are the twins' last names going to be Harrison or... Niklauson?" She asked and Klaus laughed.

"I may be old but I think I've updated with the times." Klaus smirked. "I suppose they'll be Harrison." Klaus shrugged.

"Wouldn't it be so cute if your daughter married our son?" She giggled and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Enough with the nonsense, Barbie." Damon said and Klaus chuckled. "They aren't even born yet." He pointed out and she smiled.

"But it's still a cute thought." She said.

"No, it's really not." Damon countered.

"I think it is." She shrugged. "I wonder if Viktor will have any special abilities like us." She said thoughtfully.

"We won't know unless he turns." Damon pointed out.

"What do you mean 'us'?" Klaus asked confused and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I told you this already." Damon pointed out.

"Damon can control the weather." Caroline said and Klaus looked perplexed.

"I would have remembered that." Klaus said.

"I never do it though." Damon shrugged.

"You should." Klaus nodded. "You could be quite powerful if you learned to harness it properly." Klaus pointed out and Damon shrugged.

"Let's just focus on Queen Barbie first." Damon replied.

"I totally want a tiara." Caroline giggled and Damon smirked.

"You would." He rolled his eyes.

"If I'm the Queen that makes you my Jester." She pointed out then she and Klaus laughed at Damon's amused expression.

"I do believe you are rubbing off on her." Klaus smirked at Damon.

* * *

><p>Damon and Caroline went over to Liz's house at 7pm as requested and knocked on the door. Liz opened with a huge grin on her face.<p>

"Hey!" Liz exclaimed as she hugged Caroline then Damon.

"You look happy." Damon smirked.

"Can you believe I missed you, Damon?" She chuckled and he smiled as they walked inside.

"I missed you too, Grandma." He winked and she laughed.

"I'm too young to be called, Grandma." She pointed out and he laughed.

"I'm too old to be called, Dad but hey." He smirked and she laughed.

"I think we need to come up with something other than 'Grandma' for Viktor to call me." Liz smiled.

"What about Nonnie or Grammy?" Caroline suggested and Liz smiled.

"That's what you called my mother when you were little." Liz said and Caroline nodded.

"I had to call mine Grandmother Salvatore and Grandmother Rossi." Damon chuckled.

"That's impersonal." Caroline said surprised.

"Parents were Father and Mother back then too." He shrugged. "God, I'm old." Damon said and they laughed. "I like Grammy, though." Damon smirked and they laughed.

"I like Grammy too." Liz smiled.

"What about Pappy for Roger?" Caroline asked curiously and Liz grinned.

"You'd be okay with that?" Liz asked surprised.

"Mom, Viktor is going to see you and Roger all the time whereas he'll hardly ever see Dad, so why wouldn't Roger be his Pappy?" Caroline asked and Damon smiled at her. He could see how much her words touched Liz.

"Thanks, sweetie." Liz hugged her then Roger came in the door. Caroline was pleased to see that he was wearing navy slacks and a light blue shirt – it seemed he had taken her advice and Damon rolled his eyes when he saw her surveying his clothes.

"Hey, guys." Roger grinned at them.

"Nice to see you again, Pappy." Damon smirked and the girls laughed.

"Pappy?" Roger asked surprised.

"We were just talking about what Viktor would call Mom and we decided on Grammy." Caroline grinned. "So I was thinking he could call you Pappy, unless you don't like that." She shrugged but Roger grinned widely at his soon to be step-daughter.

"I like Pappy." He smiled and Damon could see that her acceptance of him was important to him.

"Michael can be Gramps." Damon smirked and they laughed.

"He won't like that." Caroline grinned and he chuckled.

"Gramps it is." Damon winked at her and Liz grinned at Damon.

"Has Michael met you yet?" Liz raised an eyebrow and Damon smirked.

"Not yet." Damon grinned.

"Damon's going to end up being a total ass to him." Caroline laughed and Damon shrugged.

"I'll just be myself." Damon smirked and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Exactly. A total ass." She pointed out and Damon chuckled.

"I love you too, my sweet." Damon smirked and Liz laughed.

"Have you two decided on a date for the wedding?" Liz asked and Damon nodded.

"Barbie's talked me into marrying her two more times." Damon rolled his eyes and Liz smiled.

"Two? Really?" She laughed.

"I think we should just have the Galapagos one but we weren't sure how the two of you would feel about being trapped on a boat with seven vampires." Damon smirked.

"You know we got married on the cruise?" Caroline asked and Liz nodded. "Well, we're going on it again the first week in March with everyone we live with as a kind of last hurrah before we become parents." Caroline explained. "And we're going to get married there again." She explained. "Then on our real anniversary in June we're going to bring Viktor over and have a wedding at the vacation house with you two and Dad." She smiled.

"That sounds beautiful." Liz smiled. "But if you want me to come over in April for a month I can't take more vacation time in March." She said and Caroline nodded.

"That's okay. I figured that anyway." Caroline smiled. "I'm just glad you will be coming over in April."

"I can't wait to get some time with my grandson." She grinned. "Speaking of that, can I see the video?" She smiled and Damon grinned widely at her.

"Of course." He said then got the DVD out of his pocket.

"Damon watches it every day." Caroline giggled and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Do you have to tell everyone everything?" Damon asked her and they all laughed. The four of them watched the DVD and Liz was tearing up.

"He looks like you, Damon." Liz smiled.

"Let's just hope he doesn't get Damon's stellar personality." Caroline smirked and Damon chuckled.

"Yes, dear." Damon smirked and they laughed. They had dinner together and generally just enjoyed catching up. After dinner, Damon cleared the table with Liz as Caroline and Roger talked. Once in the kitchen, Liz turned to Damon.

"I was wondering if I could ask you something." Liz said shyly and Damon look intrigued.

"Anything you want." Damon answered honestly.

"Well, since Caroline is my bridesmaid, I was wondering if you would maybe walk me down the aisle." She said nervously and Damon's jaw dropped.

"Really?" He smiled causing her nerves to dissipate.

"You and Caroline are the only real family I have and I would like you both to be involved in my wedding to Roger." She smiled.

"I'd be honoured." Damon grinned at her and she hugged him. "Oh and Liz, thank you so much for that picture you sent." Damon said sincerely and Liz smiled at him.

"You're welcome." She grinned. "I have a whole bunch of them for you." She said.

"Barbie told me you were a little felon." Damon chuckled as did Liz.

"It would be terrible if the other council members found out though. That's why I did it." She explained.

"What are the pictures of?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and she smiled.

"I took anything that had you or Stefan in the pictures. There are some of you together at different ages or with either or both of your parents." She replied and Damon nodded.

"You didn't show Barbie though, right?" Damon asked.

"No, why?" She asked confused and Damon sighed in relief.

"I don't want her to see what I looked like back then." Damon replied and Liz looked confused.

"Why?" She asked and Damon smirked.

"I... Don't look like myself." Damon said and Liz laughed.

"You mean the hair?" She smirked and Damon deadpanned.

"Yes." He said and Liz laughed.

"Well, if it makes any difference, I think it looks lovely." She smiled and Damon chuckled.

"Thanks, but Barbie still isn't seeing it." Damon replied and Liz laughed.

"Fair enough." She smiled.

"Oh, c'mon! Let me see!" Caroline exclaimed as she came into the kitchen and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Damn vampire hearing." He muttered and Liz chuckled.

"Damon, I bet you look hot as always in the pictures." Caroline grinned and Damon smirked.

"Obviously." He quipped. "But you're still not seeing them." Damon pointed out and she rolled her eyes.

"You can't keep them hidden from me forever." She replied and he chuckled.

"Oh, yes I can." Damon smirked.

"Well, I know all of my Mom's hiding places for stuff so I'll just have to find them." She sing-songed then took off at vampire speed around the house. Damon groaned and raced after her. Caroline found an envelope with the pictures and was about to take them out when Damon snatched the envelope from her hands. He smirked at her annoyed expression and peered inside. They were the right ones. He grimaced at a picture of himself at 17 years old then stuffed the envelope inside his jacket.

"Ha ha." Damon stuck his tongue out at her then went back downstairs.

"Did she find them?" Liz asked amused and Damon smirked.

"She did." Damon said then opened his jacket to show the envelope causing Liz to laugh. "I'm older and faster." Damon smirked.

"No fair." Caroline huffed as she sat down next to Damon on the couch and he and Liz laughed. "Please?" She asked Damon with the face he couldn't resist. This time was different though.

"No." He smirked.

"Please?" She pleaded and he chuckled.

"No." He replied and she huffed.

"Pretty please?" She begged and he laughed.

"No." He said and Liz and Roger laughed.

"She'll never stop." Liz smirked at Damon and he chuckled.

"So what else is new?" He asked and they laughed.

"But I'm your wife." She complained and he laughed.

"What's your point?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"I'll just ask Stefan to show me a picture." She said and Damon smirked.

"Stefan doesn't have any." Damon replied amused and she sighed.

"I'll get you to show me." She said and he laughed.

"No, you won't." He grinned. "You might be too cute for words but there is nothing you can say or do to see these." Damon explained.

"You suck." She said and he smirked. "Oh, you know what I mean!" She exclaimed causing Damon, Liz and Roger to laugh.


	19. Christmas Wedding

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 19

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><p>Stefan didn't mind staying in Mystic Falls and Seth didn't want to leave Bonnie alone there so they decided to stay at the boarding house as did Ric. Klaus on the other hand didn't feel comfortable there just like Damon didn't, so the hybrids went to the vacation house. It was only half an hour's drive away from Mystic Falls and if they needed to they could run to Mystic Falls in minutes. It was the first time Damon had been to the vacation house and he had to admit he loved it. It was about a minute's walk through the woods from a beautiful lake and the house itself was more like a ski lodge than a house. It was big though. It had five bedrooms and three bathrooms and a large living room. On the outside was a large covered patio area and it was nice. Although there was snow lying outside, they didn't feel the cold so when Caroline was away and the two of them were left alone, they mainly sat on the patio drinking and talking.<p>

"This is a very nice place, I have to say." Klaus smiled at him. It was the day after Damon and Caroline had been at Liz's for dinner.

"I love it." Damon agreed. "If I'd known this place was so nice last time, I would have stayed here instead of the boarding house." Damon said and Klaus nodded.

"Damon..." Klaus started as he wanted to talk to Damon about something.

"I don't like that tone." Damon pointed out. He hated when people used the nervous tone.

"I wanted to talk to you about Zara, actually." Klaus confessed and Damon looked surprised.

"What about her?" Damon asked.

"I love her." Klaus said and Damon smirked at him.

"Everyone knows that, dude." Damon pointed out and Klaus chuckled.

"She is easy to love." Klaus nodded.

"So what's the problem?" Damon asked confused and Klaus sighed.

"I just don't know if I can subject her to this life that we lead. I love her and I want her to be happy and safe. If I love her, shouldn't I want a normal life for her?" Klaus asked and Damon shook his head.

"If there's one thing I've learned from being with Barbie, it's that if you don't let them make that decision for themselves, they get pissed." Damon pointed out and Klaus chuckled.

"You think?" Klaus asked hesitantly.

"If you want to know my honest opinion, here it is. Tell Zaza the truth. You don't need to go into all the gory details of all the corpse trails you've left behind though." Damon smirked and Klaus rolled his eyes. "Tell her that we are all vampires. Tell her that you love her and you want to be with her. She's been around us all for months and nothing has ever happened to her so she has no reason to fear us. If she really loves you back, she won't have a problem with it. If she really loves you back, she'll want to turn to be with you." Damon shrugged and Klaus was surprised that Damon could actually offer good advice. "I know I don't deserve Caroline but she made it clear that it was her decision to make to be with me, not mine to make for her." Damon smirked. "I don't think Zaza will have a problem with it though. If she was going to run off for any reason it would be the fact you're having twins." Damon smirked and Klaus chuckled.

"True." Klaus nodded. "Though, she was very supportive when I told her that I didn't think I would find someone and I just wanted to be a father." Klaus shrugged.

"Chicks love that sappy crap." Damon chuckled.

"Can you see Zara fitting in to our lives?" Klaus asked him sincerely and Damon could see the vulnerability there.

"Dude, she already has. Barbie loves her and don't try to tell me that her opinion doesn't matter to you." Damon smirked and Klaus laughed.

"I do adore Caroline beyond words." Klaus nodded and Damon smiled.

"It's hard not to love her." Damon agreed. "I like that Zaza banters with me. She always has some witty comeback like Seth does." Damon shrugged. "She's great, Klaus."

"I am somewhat frightened about telling her the truth though." Klaus admitted.

"What is this about? Really?" Damon asked raising an eyebrow.

"I want to marry her." Klaus replied and Damon nodded in agreement.

"It's all this wedding talk. It's getting to everyone." Damon smirked and Klaus laughed. "Ric and Stefan keep complaining that they want to find girlfriends and Judgy and the Captain are all over each other 24/7." Damon chuckled. "When did we all become a bunch of saps?" Damon asked and Klaus grinned.

"I don't know, but I have to admit, I've never been this happy in my life before." Klaus said and Damon grinned. "What with you and Caroline being my closest friends and Zara being in my life, not to mention the children on the way." He smiled.

"Barbie is going to flip out when she finds out you're naming your little girl Carolina after her." Damon smirked. "Though I'm not calling her that." Damon pointed out and Klaus rolled his eyes.

"She'll probably get Lina because of Caroline." Klaus conceded.

"That's nice." Damon smiled. "Have you decided on the boy's name yet?" Damon asked curiously.

"Well, since you won't allow me to name him after you, why don't you choose his name?" Klaus suggested and Damon smirked.

"What about Barbie's suggestion? Conner?" He asked. "Conner and Carolina." Damon tried it out.

"I love that." Klaus smiled surprised. "What about Conner Damon Harrison?" Klaus asked and Damon chuckled.

"Don't name your kid after me, Klaus. I'm not someone you name after." Damon replied sadly.

"But you are my brother." Klaus said confused and Damon smiled.

"Let Barbie have the spotlight for that one." Damon said.

"I would still like to do it." Klaus replied and Damon sighed.

"I am honoured, don't get me wrong... Just don't tell the rest of them, okay? Just tell them they are Connor and Carolina then. If you want your boy to have my name as a middle name, can we just keep that between us for now?" He asked.

"Alright." Klaus nodded. If that's what Damon wanted. "Will you and Caroline still be their godparents?" He asked and Damon chuckled.

"Yes." Damon nodded. "Though nothing better happen to you, raising three kids all the same age would be no easy feat." He smirked and Klaus chuckled.

"Agreed." Klaus smiled.

"Caroline wants Bonnie as Viktor's godmother but I'd rather it was you and Zaza." Damon shrugged.

"I will be his godfather?" Klaus asked surprised.

"Obviously." Damon smirked. "Think Stef or Ric have any idea what the hell to do with a kid?" He asked and Klaus laughed knowing that was Damon's way of saying he never considered the others.

"Thank you." Klaus smiled.

"I'm glad I brought you Katherine in a sack." Damon smirked and Klaus laughed.

"As am I." Klaus nodded though neither was actually talking about Katherine at all. Their friendship began that day and they both needed it.

* * *

><p>It was the 24th of December and Elizabeth Forbes was marrying Roger Miller in the evening. The wedding was happening at 5.30pm at the Church garden. Caroline thought the winter atmosphere with the snow would make for a beautiful setting and she had a wide white carpet rolled out with built in heaters so nobody would feel the cold. Above the carpet, white chairs were set up in rows for the guests and the seating area was covered with a white canopy. The seats were draped in white lace, tied at the sides with white bows and the seats that had a side along the aisle were fastened with light pink peonies everywhere. Caroline had peony petals scattered along the white carpet for a romantic setting. Down at the bottom, where they would stand to be married, she arranged for a white gazebo to be set up there with a beautiful silver arch, also draped in light pink peonies for them to stand in front of. The reception was taking place in the church hall and she continued with the white, silver and pale pink theme throughout the hall. She'd arranged the caterers and for a bar to be set up. There would be a DJ instead of live music since it was a small gathering of no more than 40 guests.<p>

Caroline stayed overnight at her mother's house so they could have a girly morning together the day of the wedding. Damon went out with Roger and his brother and two best friends for a drink in his town the night before as a semi-bachelor party. It was a low key evening and Damon enjoyed getting to know his soon to be step-father-in-law and they were fast friends. Caroline hadn't been comfortable with the idea that they were sleeping apart but Damon assured her that he wouldn't ever be more that 10 minutes run away from her so she relaxed a little. Caroline arranged for a stylist to come in and do their hair and make-up in the afternoon and soon, Damon appeared at the door to pick them up. They were being picked up in a wedding car at 5pm to go to the church. Damon was wearing a light grey suit, white shirt and silver tie at Caroline's request that he blend into the theme. He'd complained and rolled his eyes and argued but ultimately did whatever she wanted. He knocked on the door and Caroline opened and grinned at the sight of him. She was wearing her pale pink bridesmaid's dress and Damon's jaw dropped at the sight of her. She had silver pumps on to match and her hair was in an intricate updo with little silver clips throughout her hair.

"You look stunning." Damon grinned and she smiled.

"So do you." She smiled. "Get in here. You need to see how gorgeous my mom looks!" She grinned and he stepped inside. Liz came through to the living room and Damon was floored at how lovely she looked. Her gown was a simple silver colour with a vintage look to it. It was v neck with a beaded waist and a very short train but flowy and elegant nonetheless.

"Wow." Damon said. "I think I married the wrong Forbes." He said and Liz blushed while Caroline giggled. "You look beautiful, Liz. Roger is going to faint when he sees you." Damon smirked and Liz chuckled.

"Thanks." She smiled.

"You gorgeous gals ready to go?" Damon smiled at Liz. "You ready to go become Mrs Miller?" He asked and Liz chuckled.

"We're both becoming Forbes-Miller." She corrected and Damon chuckled.

"This one tried that with me too." Damon smirked and Caroline laughed.

"You got your way in the end." She said and Damon smiled at his own bride.

"So did you." Damon pointed out and she grinned.

"It's funny that I'm Caroline Salvatore and you're Damon Forbes-Salvatore." She giggled.

"That is strange." Liz smirked.

"We're both vampires – we're allowed to be strange." Damon chuckled. "Now let's go get you married, Liz." He grinned and she smiled and nodded. "As the one that's walking you down the aisle, it is my duty to ask if you're sure about this." Damon said. "You can still pull out, it's not too late." He commented and Liz laughed.

"I'm sure. But thank you for asking me that." Liz smiled.

"You got it, Grammy." Damon winked and both women laughed. The car showed up and Caroline handed her mother her pink peony and white rose bouquet wrapped with a silver ribbon around the stems, then Damon offered his arm to Liz who accepted gratefully as Caroline went down to the car. Damon walked her down to the car and helped her get in then got in behind her.

"This is practice for you for when Valentina gets married." Caroline smiled and Damon deadpanned.

"Don't ever say anything that horrible ever again." Damon urged and Caroline rolled her eyes while Liz giggled.

"I never pegged you as a stick in the mud." Caroline smirked and he chuckled.

"Why? Because I don't want some sleazy guy fawning all over my little girl?" Damon asked her and she giggled.

"I married you." She pointed out and Damon nodded.

"My point exactly." Damon replied and both women laughed. They laughed and joked all the way to the church. Damon could hear that everyone else was already seated. He got out of the car and helped Liz out and Caroline walked into the church in front of them as Damon took her to the little waiting room. They had 10 minutes left until the ceremony started and Damon left the girls alone to go check everything was running on time. He spoke to the minister then was spotted by Stefan, Ric and Seth who were giving him funny looks as to why he wasn't seated. He hadn't told anyone except Klaus that he was walking Liz down the aisle as he did love the idea of the shocked looks they would no doubt get. Damon was startled at how beautiful Caroline had made everything, it truly looked like a winter wonderland and he smiled. He loved his wife so much. He walked back into the waiting room.

"Barbie, it's really beautiful out there." Damon said to her and she beamed at him.

"For you to even say that is a big deal." She grinned then kissed him. He rolled his eyes and wiped her lip gloss off his lips with a hanky.

"They're ready for you." Damon smiled at Liz and she took a deep breath then nodded. Caroline walked out of the room first. "You look great. Don't worry." He whispered to Liz and she smiled at him.

"Thank you for everything." She smiled and he chuckled.

"You're welcome." He smirked then she took his arm and he led her out of the room. Caroline stood in front of them as they waited for the music to start. When it did, Caroline walked out slowly with a huge smile on her face then a few seconds later, Damon and Liz walked down the couple of steps and onto the white carpet and slowly down the aisle. The vampires were shocked at Damon escorting her as was Carol Lockwood but they soon got over it when they realised how stunningly gorgeous Liz looked. Roger's jaw dropped at the sight of her then he grinned widely. Soon they made it down to the alter and Damon kissed Liz's cheek then took his seat in the front row next to Caroline. Damon didn't give her hand to Roger though as her hand wasn't his to give. She was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions and she could give him her own hand. Caroline intertwined their fingers and grinned at him and he kissed her softly as the ceremony started.

They opted for a simple ceremony with no readings or singing and everyone cheered when Roger kissed his bride. When they walked back down the aisle into the church hall, Caroline and Damon followed, hand in hand. Caroline had hired both a photographer and a videographer to capture the ceremony and the reception. The newlyweds sat in the middle of the head table with Caroline and Damon on Liz's side and Roger's brother and his wife on his side. Klaus, Stefan, Bonnie, Seth, Ric and Tyler were all at one table as the rest of the tables were mainly middle aged people apart from Roger's younger family members who had their own table. Roger had no kids from his first marriage though. Soon the dinner was served after everyone was given a glass of champagne. First, cheese and broccoli cream soup with croutons was served then grilled chicken with a red wine sauce for the main course and finally strawberry mousse with a raspberry coulis for dessert. After the dinner, Roger stood up to make his speech.

"Thank you so much for coming tonight." Roger toasted everyone. "Today is the happiest day of my life and it's all thanks to my beautiful wife, Liz." He smiled at her fondly and she and Caroline started to get misty. "I would also like to thank my wonderful step-daughter, Caroline for throwing us such a beautiful wedding, I couldn't have imagined a more perfect way to marry the love of my life. And also for the fashion tips she gave me after I proposed." He smiled and Caroline grinned and nodded to him while the rest of the room laughed out loud especially Liz, Damon, Klaus and Bonnie. "I'm not a big talker so all I'll say is, I love you, Liz, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." Roger smiled then bent down and kissed her. "Thank you all." He smiled then sat down and everyone applauded. Roger's best man who was also his brother then stood up and gave the best man speech. He recounted funny stories about Roger, complimented Caroline and Liz on how beautiful they looked and wished them all the best for the future then sat down. Then, Damon stood up and clinked his glass. Caroline, Liz, Stefan, Ric, Klaus, Bonnie and Seth's jaws dropped and their eyes widened in horror as they all had no clue as to what he would say.

"Evening, everyone." He smirked and Stefan hid his face in his hands causing Damon to chuckle lightly. "So, when Liz asked me to escort her down the aisle, I was shocked to say the least and found myself googleing the responsibilities of said person." He said causing everyone to laugh. "It would normally be the father of the bride, but as her son-in-law, I can say a lot of the same things." Damon smirked. "Liz is a wonderful woman and I am very proud to call her not only my mother-in-law but a dear friend." Damon said sincerely as he smiled at Liz. "I think she looks stunning in her dress and Roger, you are one lucky guy." Damon winked at him causing everyone to laugh and Liz to blush. Caroline was rolling her eyes at her stupid husband. "Liz is an excellent Sheriff, a loving mother and a very understanding friend." Damon smirked and she laughed a little, knowing what he meant. "Roger and I hung out a bit last night and I think you have a good guy there, Liz." Damon said. "But he knows the deal if he's not." Damon smirked and Liz and Roger chuckled while Caroline and Stefan looked horrified. "So, before my baby brother dies of embarrassment, I'd just like to say, Liz, I hope you'll both be very happy as you start your lives together. You deserve it." He grinned at her. "And I hope you'll both have fun taking turns staring at the ceiling on the honeymoon." Damon winked then sat down as everyone burst into hysterics and Liz went beet red with embarrassment. Stefan covered his face with his hands as Bonnie and the boys laughed in disbelief that Damon would say that at his mother-in-law's wedding. Especially the Sheriff's!

"I'm going to kill you." Caroline whispered to him and he laughed.

"Love you too, my sweet." He smirked then kissed her.

"I might kill you too." Liz whispered and Damon smirked at her.

"What? I toned it down majorly." Damon pointed out and she laughed.

"Fair enough." She smiled and shook her head in disbelief.

Soon it was time for the first dance and Liz and Roger danced to Barry White 'Can't Get Enough of Your Love'. Half way through the song, Damon led Caroline to the dance floor as Roger's brother led his wife there and they danced together. Other couples started filling up the floor including Bonnie and Seth. When the next song came on, Damon danced with Liz as Caroline danced with Roger to Ella Fitzgerald's 'Cheek to Cheek'. Damon loved dancing and soon danced with Bonnie then Roger's sisters and his brother's wife while avoiding Carol Lockwood and Caroline danced with all vampire boys. They were all amused by Damon making a spectacle of himself. Caroline was surprised when Tyler asked her to dance but he'd apparently gotten Damon's permission first and Damon was off dancing with Roger's really hot niece so she didn't feel too bad about it. It didn't bother Damon when he noticed Caroline and Tyler dancing, but he did soon feel like dancing with his wife again so when the next song came on, he cut in and twirled her around. He had all the girls in the room swooning over him, considering his looks and what a great dancer he was but they all saw that he only had eyes for his wife. Shortly afterwards, Liz and Roger cut the cake and everyone sat down to have wedding cake. Caroline wanted to stay the night with Damon at her mother's house but Damon told her she was crazy for wanting to intrude on the newlyweds' first night together and she had reluctantly agreed. They would just head over early in the morning. The party continued until just after midnight and everyone wished each other a very Merry Christmas. All the vampires had a great night at the wedding, even Klaus. Liz and Roger were enjoying themselves very much and were lovey-dovey with each other all night until they left just after midnight. Caroline and Damon stayed behind to say goodbye to the guests as was Caroline's request then when it was only the vampires left, they went back to the boarding house to sleep.

"Tonight went so well." Caroline said to Damon as she cuddled into him in bed.

"You did an amazing job, my sweet." Damon smiled at her. "It was actually fun." He grinned and she kissed him.

"My Mom looked really happy, don't you think?" She asked and Damon chuckled.

"Any happier and she would have overdosed." Damon smirked and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"I loved her dress." Caroline smiled.

"She did look beautiful." Damon agreed. "I loved your dress too." He smirked and she giggled.

"Yeah, I gathered that when you pulled me into the church supply closet... four times." She winked and he chuckled. "God would not be impressed with us for that one." She replied and Damon laughed.

"We've killed people, you really think he's going to care that we did it a few times in a church supply closet?" Damon asked amused and she rolled her eyes.

"You may have a point." She conceded and he chuckled.

"It was hot though." Damon said as he kissed her neck, suddenly in the mood again. "I do believe you said something about a Miss Santa outfit." He said against her neck and she moaned.

"That's for tomorrow..." She said but he cut her off with a kiss then quickly undressed her until she lay naked underneath him.

"Mmm. So hot, Mrs Salvatore." Damon smirked and she chuckled.

"You just going to talk or put that tongue to good use?" She cocked an eyebrow then squealed when he did.

* * *

><p>Caroline woke up alone in Damon's bed the next morning but she was too excited about it being Christmas to get alarmed. She got dressed quickly then skipped downstairs and found everyone sitting together around the couches.<p>

"Morning! Merry Christmas!" She exclaimed happily as she came in the room.

"Merry Christmas." They all replied and she kissed Damon. He pulled her onto his lap and deepened the kiss then groaned.

"Let's go back upstairs." He said against her lips and she giggled when the others groaned in annoyance.

"What is with you two?" Stefan asked confused and Caroline shrugged as she turned around and sat down next to Damon.

"Whatever do you mean, Stef?" Caroline smirked and Damon chuckled.

"You two have been worse than ever since yesterday." Stefan pointed out and Damon shrugged.

"She looked really hot in that little dress." Damon smirked. "Easy access too." Damon winked and they laughed.

"We know. We heard you. Didn't Liz notice that you kept disappearing?" Stefan asked.

"She was too busy with Roger to notice what we were getting up to." Damon smirked.

"We're just happy." Caroline smiled at Damon and he kissed her again.

"Get a room." Seth smirked and Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Excellent idea." He said then before Caroline could say anything, he threw her over his shoulder and she squealed as he raced up the stairs with her.

"I shouldn't have said anything." Seth chuckled.

"We should put music on. Loudly." Stefan grimaced then turned the radio on.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Damon reappeared a couple of hours later and they were all still sitting there, only listening to the radio loudly and Damon chuckled then sat down on the couch and Caroline sat in his lap then kissed him. He deepened the kiss and things were suddenly heated again.<p>

"Can you two stop for five minutes?" Bonnie asked and Caroline pulled away.

"Sorry." She replied with a giggle.

"Are you two in heat or something?" Seth smirked and Caroline laughed.

"Things not sizzling between you two?" Damon raised an eyebrow and Seth and Bonnie looked embarrassed then he laughed loudly. "You haven't had sex yet! That's so cute." He smirked and Bonnie rolled her eyes at him while Seth coughed in embarrassment. "Well, I don't care what any of you think. I like having sex with my wife." He smirked and they laughed.

"We know." Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Steffi, you just need to find yourself a ridiculously sexy wife like I have." Damon pointed out. "Then you won't be such a buzz-kill." Damon smirked and Stefan sighed.

"Where?" Stefan asked exasperated.

"I'll be your wing-woman." Caroline winked at him and Damon chuckled.

"That won't work." Damon said and she looked confused.

"Why?" She asked and he cocked an eyebrow.

"Because no girls are going to be interested in Stefan with you hanging around." Damon replied and Stefan laughed but Caroline still looked confused.

"I don't see why not." Caroline replied and Damon kissed her.

"Because, they won't be hotter than you." Damon replied and she had a total 'aww' moment in her head.

"Don't be silly." She replied though the grin was nearly breaking her face.

"Damon, you're such a sap." Seth smirked and Damon shrugged.

"Maybe." Damon smirked. "But at least I get laid." He winked and Bonnie's jaw dropped.

"Damon!" Bonnie exclaimed and he chuckled as Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Well, if I'm going to get teased for being in love with my wife, you two are going to get teased for your chastity belts." He smirked and Caroline sighed.

"Don't be mean." She chastised.

"It's tomorrow." He reminded her and she laughed as she said she would put on the Miss Santa outfit for him 'tomorrow'.

"Later." She said and he pouted causing her to giggle. "We just stopped." She whispered amused and he shrugged.

"I can go again." He replied and the rest of them groaned. "Buzz-kills."

"We need to get ready and go have Christmas with my Mom and Stepdad." She smiled and he huffed.

"Can't we just call them then go back upstairs?" He suggested and she giggled.

"No." She said and he pouted again. "But... you know what's in store for you later." She grinned then felt him harden underneath her and she giggled. "Exactly." She winked and he chuckled.

"You're just going to leave me like this?" Damon asked and the rest of their eyes widened with the realisation of what he meant.

"I suppose I can't really do that to you, can I?" She smirked then the two of them raced upstairs again.

"What's going on with them?" Stefan asked in disbelief and Bonnie chuckled.

"They're just head over heels with each other and I think the wedding got to them." She smiled.

* * *

><p>Eventually, they got themselves under control and went over to Liz's house for Christmas. They were supposed to be there at 10am but got carried away and turned up at noon.<p>

"Merry Christmas, Mrs Miller." Damon smirked when Liz opened the door and she laughed.

"Merry Christmas, you two. Get in here." She grinned and they went inside. She brought them both a glass of eggnog then they sat down together after saying Merry Christmas to Roger.

"So the wedding, did you enjoy it?" Damon asked them with a smile.

"It was amazing." Liz grinned.

"I liked your speech." Roger chuckled and Damon smirked.

"I didn't actually know that I was going to give one until I stood up." Damon chuckled and they laughed.

"Only you would say the ceiling thing." Liz laughed and Damon shrugged.

"What else is there to do on a honeymoon?" Damon asked and they laughed.

"I'm glad you brought that up, actually." Caroline smiled. "Well, the honeymoon part, not the part where my mom's having sex." She replied and Liz blushed. "Do you want to know where you're going?" Caroline grinned and Damon chuckled.

"We're really excited about it." Liz smiled.

"Hawaii!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Oh my god! That's amazing!" Liz grinned happily.

"Thank you both." Roger smiled.

"It was Damon's idea." Caroline smiled back.

"No, the honeymoon was my idea, Hawaii was yours." Damon pointed out then handed over their tickets. "You'll be picked up at the airport and taken to your hotel." He explained.

"Thank you. I've always wanted to go there." Liz smiled.

"I know, that's why it's there." Caroline giggled. "Duh." She said and they laughed.

"We have Christmas presents for you." Liz grinned then went over to the little tree and pulled out a few wrapped packages.

"As do we." Damon replied with a smirk and Caroline took their presents out of the bag she brought then handed them over to them. Caroline got Roger a designer suit and Damon got him white gold cufflinks to go with it. Caroline got Liz a beautiful blue designer shift dress and Damon got her blue sapphire earrings to match, since Caroline had coordinated him on presents. Liz got Caroline a Chanel bag and Roger got her the matching purse and she was so excited by it. They got Damon a really nice leather jacket and he loved it. "Lastly." Damon said then pulled out two small boxes and gave them to Caroline.

"But we're doing Christmas in Amsterdam." She said confused and he smirked.

"I have more stuff for you for then too." He winked and she giggled. Liz was always constantly surprised by how much Damon loved Caroline.

"But I don't have anything for you." She said sadly and he chuckled.

"I'll settle for a kiss." He smirked and she giggled and kissed him then opened up the boxes to reveal a stunning pair of pink diamond stud earrings and a matching pink and white diamond bracelet.

"Oh my god! They're beautiful!" She exclaimed and he smiled at her. "Can you put it on me?" She asked holding out her wrist and he fastened it on for her and she put the studs in her ears. Damon was pleased that she liked them so much.

"Wow, they're gorgeous!" Liz grinned. "They match your ring." She said pointing to Caroline's engagement ring. She was wearing the pink one since it matched the bridesmaid's dress. "Is that the same ring as last time?" She asked confused and Damon chuckled.

"I buy her stuff when I piss her off." Damon smirked and Liz and Roger laughed.

"This is my second engagement ring." Caroline giggled. "Thanks, Damon." She grinned at him as she looked at the bracelet.

"Glad you like it." He smirked. "I may have gone slightly overboard with your other presents." He chuckled and she laughed.

"Did you get me a pony or something?" Caroline asked amused and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Do you want a horse?" He asked her and Liz and Roger laughed. "What?" He asked them curiously.

"You would get her a horse?" Liz asked amused and Damon shrugged.

"Barbie wants, Barbie gets." He replied and they laughed.

"You shouldn't tell her that." Liz laughed.

"She already knows that." Damon smirked.

"I know what I want." Caroline grinned.

"Anything you want you can have." He replied and she clapped.

"I want to see the pictures." She said.

"Except that." Damon replied and they all laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>I put Liz's wedding dress, Caroline's dress and her 2 presents from Damon on my profile :)<strong>


	20. Christmas at Home

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 20

* * *

><p>It was the 27th and the gang had just arrived into Amsterdam airport. Damon and Caroline had driven Liz and Roger to the airport the day before so they could fly to their honeymoon. They were also still all over each other all day long much to the rest of the vampire's annoyance since they'd continued their antics on the plane. When they were finally on the ground, Caroline and Damon walked out hand in hand towards the arrivals area. They were about to go through the sliding doors when Damon smirked and turned around. The rest of them were a little further behind.<p>

"Oh, your majesty?" Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"I really don't think I should respond to that." Klaus replied and Damon chuckled.

"Did you know that there's a princess waiting for you?" Damon asked and Klaus looked stunned. "Go get her." Damon winked and Klaus hurried out the sliding doors in front of them and Caroline grinned at Damon as they followed and saw Klaus rushing over to an obviously very happy Zara. He'd had no idea that she was coming to the airport to surprise him. Klaus picked her up and twirled her around then kissed her. He'd missed her.

"What are you doing here?" Klaus grinned at her and she took his hand in hers.

"I missed you. Of course I would be here." She smiled and Damon saw Klaus melt into a little puddle and chuckled.

"I'm going to need to mop him up now, Zaza." Damon quipped and she laughed.

"You never just say 'hello', do you Day?" She replied and he chuckled then kissed her cheek to greet her.

"What's the fun in that?" He smirked then Caroline hugged her.

"Are you coming back with us tonight?" Caroline asked her and Zara grinned.

"Of course." She giggled. "I missed my Klaus." She said.

"I missed you as well." Klaus smiled at her and Damon chuckled.

"Saps." He said and Klaus raised an eyebrow at him.

"Says the guy who hasn't kept his hands off his wife for four days." Klaus replied and they all laughed as the others caught up with them and hugged Zara.

"She is mondo hot." Damon smirked then kissed Caroline... again.

"I think we should separate them." Stefan laughed.

"They're driving us nuts, Zara." Klaus added and she laughed.

"Aww, leave them alone." She smiled fondly at them.

"See? Zaza knows." Damon winked and they rolled their eyes as she giggled.

* * *

><p>Zara stayed with Klaus for the night and they were all getting up early to go over to Damon and Caroline's house for their Christmas. Damon and Caroline found it difficult to get out of bed because they were still so intoxicated with each other. Things were just so great, neither had a single doubt about the other anymore and they were just so happy together that they couldn't help being stuck to each other. They did eventually get up and shower and get dressed then went down stairs to start preparing Christmas food as Zara would be there with them. Caroline baked gingerbread cookies and Christmas cake while Damon prepared a Christmas ham that would need to cook for hours. The rest of the food could be made fairly quickly in the afternoon so Damon put away the stuff he had out then made eggnog since Caroline wanted that. He also made a really big bowl of Christmas punch... basically all the alcohol he had in the house poured into a big bowl with a sprinkle of cinnamon. He tasted it and it nearly blew his head off and he grinned. Perfect.<p>

Seth, Bonnie and Ric got ready then brought down their presents for everyone and stuck them under the tree. Damon handed them each a small glass of Christmas punch and smirked when they nearly spat it out. Caroline giggled at his antics but couldn't help smiling at him with all the love she had for him. Damon then left the room and went down to the vault in the man cave and started taking up the large mound of presents he'd stashed there. He got upstairs and Ric, Seth and Bonnie eyed him curiously.

"That's a lot of stuff." Ric pointed out and Damon smirked.

"These are just Barbie's presents." Damon replied and they laughed. He had to make another trip down to get the rest of the stuff. "Same deal as usual when Zaza comes over; if you need blood, go down to the cave." Damon said and they nodded.

"Oh, by the way guys. Damon and I need to talk to you about something." Caroline said as she came out of the kitchen and the three new vampires sat down on the couch across from Damon and Caroline.

"What's up?" Ric asked curiously.

"We've been thinking about the living arrangements and since Viktor is going to be here in a few months then later the twins, we were thinking that the babies should be in one house otherwise everyone is going to be woken up with them every night. That's not really fair to you guys so we thought that maybe you three and Stefan would want to live in Klaus' house then Klaus and the twins could live here with us. That way you would all get your own rooms too." Caroline explained.

"That's a good idea." Bonnie nodded with a smile.

"That'll be better for the kids' protection too." Ric agreed and Damon grinned at his best bud.

"Seth, I know you like your room so I'll have whatever room you pick in Klaus' house decorated for you." Caroline smiled and he grinned at her.

"You're the best, Cookie." He smiled.

"Can you do that for me too?" Ric asked and Damon chuckled. Everyone knew how much Ric loved his bedroom.

"Of course." She exclaimed. "You'll be taking Klaus' room when you go over there so it's the same layout except you get a Jacuzzi tub in your room." She smirked and Ric's eyes widened.

"Hell yeah." Ric grinned and they laughed.

"It is awesome." Caroline smiled. "So everyone's okay with that?" She asked for confirmation.

"Of course." Bonnie nodded then Klaus, Zara and Stefan came in with bags of gifts in their hands.

"Hey!" Caroline grinned then hugged the three of them.

"Morning, darling." Klaus smiled.

"Are you baking?" Zara asked and Caroline giggled.

"Yeah, I'm attempting to anyway. I've never made gingerbread cookies before so Damon's been instructing me." She said and they laughed. "He's like a drill sergeant." Caroline said and everyone laughed.

"That's not really fair, Barbie." Damon smirked from his seat in the living room. They all joined them then Klaus noticed the huge pile of presents on one side of the tree wrapped in pink Barbie doll wrapping paper and he laughed loudly. "What?" Damon asked and Klaus pointed and they all looked.

"Barbie wrapping paper?" Stefan laughed as did the rest of them but Damon only shrugged.

"I didn't see the point in writing out like 40 gift cards to her." He said and Caroline's eyes bugged.

"That's all for me?" She asked in disbelief and Damon smirked.

"I told you I may have gone a teeny bit overboard." Damon pointed out and they all laughed.

"But Barbie wrapping paper?" Caroline giggled.

"Everyone has their own wrapping paper so I didn't have to do the cards." Damon smirked and they laughed.

"Can we start opening them?" Caroline grinned and Damon chuckled.

"Knock yourself out." Damon smirked. Caroline went forward and arranged all the presents into piles so everyone could open their pile at the same time.

"Damon, who's is whose?" She asked pointing to the pile he had wrapped for everyone else.

"Guess." Damon chuckled.

"Disney princess paper... Zara?" Caroline asked and Damon laughed.

"Nope." Damon smirked.

"Stefan?" She asked sceptically and Damon laughed harder.

"I think Stefan's should be fairly obvious." Damon replied and Caroline looked them over then laughed.

"The bunny paper?" She asked and they all burst into hysterics except Zara who didn't get it.

"Exactly." Damon pointed out and Caroline giggled then put the bunny packages on Stefan's pile while Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Who is the word search paper for?" She asked and Ric laughed.

"Me probably." Ric replied and Damon nodded so Caroline put it in his pile.

"Ballerina paper?" Caroline asked sceptically and Damon laughed.

"That is for the Captain." Damon pointed out and Seth chuckled nervously.

"Prick." Seth said and Damon grinned.

"You did take ballet lessons." Damon pointed out and everyone laughed.

"The leopard print paper is for Zara then, right?" Caroline asked and Damon nodded.

"That only leaves Halloween and Disney princess." She said and Damon smirked.

"Princess... Royal." Damon hinted and Klaus laughed loudly.

"You're an arse." Klaus said and Damon laughed.

"The princess paper is for Nicky?" Caroline giggled and they all laughed.

"So Halloween is me?" Bonnie smirked and Damon grinned at her.

"We do have such fond memories from Halloween." Damon said and she laughed considering he'd tried to steal her crystal on Halloween. Caroline then pushed over everyone's piles to them and they all started opening presents. Caroline got everyone clothes and accessories except Damon. Damon opened a present from Caroline to reveal a sexy wonder woman costume and his jaw dropped.

"Please tell me this is for you to wear." He said to her and everyone laughed.

"Obviously." She winked and his eyes bugged.

"Okay, Christmas is over. Everybody out." Damon said and they laughed.

"Later." Caroline giggled and he huffed.

"There aren't more of these, right?" Damon raised an eyebrow at her and she grinned mischievously.

"Maybe you should open mine when we're alone." She replied and his eyes widened.

"Well, I know what I'm doing for the foreseeable future." Damon quipped and she giggled.

"Good." She winked and everyone laughed and continued to open their presents. Damon pushed the rest of Caroline's aside as he was trying to think of unsexy things to contain himself. Damon chuckled when he opened the presents from everyone else as he'd gotten TV show box sets from them all. Stefan got him Dexter, Seth got him 24, Bonnie got him True Blood and he laughed, Ric got him Bones and Klaus got him Supernatural. He'd been hooked to Prison Break then to some other shows and he was amused that they all thought of it but secretly was looking forward to watching them all. Klaus got Zara a net book and a beautiful ruby bracelet, necklace and earring set and she loved them. The rest of them got each other CDs, DVDs, clothes and regular present stuff. Zara got Klaus a HTC smart phone as he was constantly complaining about his 'piece of shit phone' from years ago. Bonnie got Caroline and Damon a large canvas print of their wedding photo to put on their wall and Caroline got all teary eyed over it. Zara got them an updated 4D DVD of Viktor as he was now 27 weeks and Damon put it on immediately and they could see the big changes in him already. Damon tried to control himself but ultimately ended up with watery eyes anyway.

Damon got Ric an iPad2 because he kept talking about it. He got Stefan an expensive surround sound system for his TV because he kept complaining about the sound on his TV. He got Seth a state of the art dart board and professional darts as he didn't have one anymore and Seth was very pleased. He'd been saying constantly that he wanted to keep practicing because he loved it. Damon got Bonnie an iPod because she dropped hers and it broke. Klaus got a Blu-Ray player from Damon because he kept asking Damon questions about it. Basically, Damon got them all stuff to stop them complaining, though they were all very happy with their gifts. Damon got Zara perfume and a handbag as directed by Caroline. The others got Damon stuff other than just the box sets too; like Ric got him a few rare bottles of whiskey and Stefan got him a laptop because he hated the desktop PC. Klaus told Damon telepathically that he had another weapon for him but didn't want to give it to him in front of Zara and Damon grinned at him.

Then Caroline finally got to her huge pile of gifts from Damon. She opened a box and gasped then giggled when she found a diamond tiara in it and looked up at him and he smirked.

"You said you wanted a tiara." He pointed out and they all laughed.

"You got me a diamond tiara just because I said that?" She asked in disbelief and he shrugged. "Does that mean you got yourself a jester suit?" She cocked an eyebrow and he winked at her.

"I don't need one." He smirked and they laughed. She kept opening packages and he'd got her all the designer shoes she'd ever mentioned that she wanted, dresses, other clothes and handbags. He got her a diamond tennis bracelet, stacker rings in different stones, earrings both studs and drops, necklaces and a beautiful hair comb as he knew she liked putting her hair up. When she got to her last package, it was a large box and she opened it to find a smaller box inside then a smaller box in that one then a smaller box in that one and the last little box held a key. She looked up at him confused and he smirked. "Go outside and look at the side of the house." He said and she stood up and went to the door. They all filed out after her and their jaws dropped when they saw a brand new baby blue convertible VW Beetle sitting there. Caroline squealed in delight then jumped up on Damon and wrapped her legs around his waist as he chuckled. She kissed him all over his face.

"That's my dream car!" She exclaimed and he smiled at her.

"I know." He said and she kissed him again.

"I love you!" She said as she kept kissing him and he was sure if he'd been human he would have blushed.

"I know." He smirked then set her down on her feet.

"You got me the best presents ever." She said and she felt the waterworks coming and he laughed.

"I have one last gift for you." Damon said and she looked confused as she was sure she'd opened everything. Damon put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box and opened it to reveal a Chopard oval cut large blue diamond ring with pear shaped accenting white diamonds. "Marry me again?" He asked her with a smirk and she giggled then jumped on him again.

"Always." She grinned then they were kissing again.

"What are they like?" Stefan chuckled as did the rest of them.

"I think it's sweet." Zara grinned at them widely. Damon pulled off Caroline's pink engagement ring and replaced it with the blue diamond one and she looked at her hand.

"That is so beautiful." Caroline said in awe and Damon grinned at how happy she looked with it.

"It's got nothing on you." Damon said to her and Caroline, Zara and Bonnie all said 'aww' while the boys chuckled then Caroline kissed him again.

"Damon, you're making me look bad." Klaus said and Damon chuckled.

"I'm married." Damon pointed out and Klaus shot him a look but Zara just giggled and kissed Klaus. Caroline convinced Damon to come with her on a test drive of her new car with her.

"Not that I'm not ridiculously happy, I am, but why did you get me a car?" Caroline asked Damon as they were driving away and he shrugged.

"I figured that with Vik almost here, you would need one in case you ever need to take him to the doctor or if you're going into town or something." He shrugged. "You know I adore you but you're not driving my car." He smirked and she giggled. "And this has enough room in it for a car seat for him." Damon pointed to the back. "So you still get to have the girly convertible but it's still practical for Vik." He said.

"You totally sound like a dad right now." She grinned at him and he chuckled.

"Are you having a nice Christmas, my sweet?" He asked her with a smile and she giggled.

"Damon, just the fact I get to be with you makes it the best Christmas ever." She smiled back. "Though, you are a God when it comes to presents." She giggled and he smirked. "Thank you so much for everything." She said softly and he grinned.

"I just love you, Care." He smiled and she felt teary at him calling her that. "I can't seem to figure out how to deal with how much I love you. I just want to make you happy." He smiled.

"You and I could be living in a shack with no running water and I would still be happy as long as you were there." She replied and he chuckled.

"We're both major saps." He pointed out and she giggled.

"Well, how about I pull over and we try out the back seat?" She cocked an eyebrow and he grinned.

"Best wife ever." He smirked.

* * *

><p>They returned two hours later as Damon had to check on the ham in the oven. Their clothes were creased and their hair ruffled and everyone knew exactly what they'd been doing and they all laughed at the love birds when they came in. Damon hadn't noticed that one side of his hair was sticking straight up and Stefan couldn't contain his laughter.<p>

"What is so funny, Steffi?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and they laughed.

"Can I take a picture of you?" Stefan chuckled and Damon rolled his eyes and went to look in the mirror and laughed at his ridiculous hair. He smoothed it down then smirked.

"Your just jealous, Steffi." Damon pointed out. "When's the last time you even got laid?" Damon asked and Stefan scowled at him making Damon and everyone else laugh again. "Exactly." Damon smirked then checked the ham in the oven.

"Does your car drive well?" Klaus asked Caroline and she giggled.

"Uh... we only made it about a mile down the road." Caroline replied and they all burst out laughing. Damon came back through and plopped down on the couch and Caroline sat on his lap.

"You know you only make things worse when you sit on me, my sweet." Damon smirked and she giggled then got off his lap and sat next to him instead and he put his arm around her.

"You're like a couple of horny teenagers." Ric chuckled and Damon shrugged.

"There are worse ways to spend your day." Damon smirked back at him and they laughed. They sat around the living room chatting for a little while when Zara got up and went into the kitchen to get herself a drink. She opened the fridge and noticed a bag full of red liquid tucked in at the bag. She pulled it out curiously and saw that it was blood. She couldn't understand what the hell they had a bag of blood in the fridge for so she decided to ask. She walked back in to the living room to the group of friends she had come to care for so much with the bag.

"What's this for?" She asked and she saw every jaw in the room drop and their eyes widened.

"Uh... I... It's a joke from Halloween." Damon said. "I don't know how that got in there." Damon said awkwardly but Zara could tell they were keeping something from her so she looked to Klaus, the man she adored.

"Klaus?" She asked as it was obvious she didn't believe Damon's excuse. Klaus sighed and Damon saw the fear on his face.

"Darling, we have to tell you something." He said quietly.

"Tell me what?" She asked confused and Klaus looked at Damon for help.

"Zaza, you like us all, right?" Damon asked her and she looked confused.

"Of course, why would you ask me that?" She asked suspiciously.

"Well... we're kind of... sort of... just remember you said that you like us..." Damon pointed out and she looked at him like 'hurry up'. "We're all vampires." He said to her and she blinked in confusion then to everyone's surprise she giggled.

"Very funny." She said but was concerned when nobody else was laughing. Everyone always laughed when Damon said something stupid. "But..." She said and took a step back. "You're serious aren't you?" She asked and they all nodded. "So, you're all vampires? All seven of you? Even you." She turned to look at Klaus and he could tell she felt betrayed by him.

"I didn't want to frighten you by telling you the truth." He said to her and she nodded then handed over the bag to Klaus. She turned around to leave then froze on the spot as she thought over the past several months. She'd been on so many dates with Klaus, she'd spent so much time with him, she'd hung out with all of his friends, who were now her friends too, he'd never hurt her, he'd only loved her, they all only cared for her and never hurt her. She had no reason to fear any of them. Klaus saw her turn around and his heart broke until he saw her stop in one spot. She turned around suddenly and sat back down and sighed.

"Day, I need a drink." She said and he chuckled.

"What do you want, Zaza?" Damon asked her with a smile and she giggled.

"Oh, god... I need that thing you're calling punch." She said and he laughed and went to get her a glass. She took a big gulp of it and sighed as it burnt her throat.

"Are you alright?" Klaus asked sceptically and she laughed.

"I just found out the man I'm in love with is a vampire." She replied. "I'm going to need a minute." She said and he nodded.

"I would never hurt you." Klaus said.

"I know that, sweetie." She said immediately because she did.

"You're taking this well." Caroline pointed out and Zara chuckled.

"Are you sure? I'm seriously considering getting hammered." She replied and Damon smirked.

"I'll get hammered with you then." Damon nodded and got himself a glass of the punch and tapped her glass with his.

"So, you've all been vampires the whole time I've been seeing Klaus?" She asked them.

"Just Damon, Caroline, Stefan and I were vampires when we met you." Klaus replied. "Bonnie, Seth and Alaric turned in November." He explained and she took that on board.

"How long have you four been vampires?" She asked.

"I've been one for a year." Caroline smiled at her.

"Stef and I have been vampires since 1864." Damon said and her jaw dropped.

"That makes you nearly two centuries old." She said in disbelief.

"I'm older." Klaus replied and she blinked in surprise.

"How much older?" She asked cautiously and he sighed and looked at Damon.

"Klaus is the oldest vampire in the world." Damon replied and her jaw dropped.

"Seriously?" She asked in disbelief and Klaus nodded.

"I was turned in the 11th century." Klaus said.

"Wow. This is a lot." She conceded.

"Want to see my fangs?" Damon smirked and she laughed at his cheeky expression.

"Why not?" She asked as it would be good to get some proof of this. She watched in disbelief as dark veins came out under his eyes which were blood shot and he grinned so she saw the teeth too. He changed his face back immediately. "Is it terrible to say that you actually look attractive like that?" She asked and Damon chuckled.

"I have that effect on women." He smirked and she laughed.

"Will you show me too?" Zara asked Klaus softly but he looked hesitant.

"You're not frightened?" He asked her and it broke her heart that he was bracing himself for rejection so she stood up and went over to him and sat in his lap.

"No." She shook her head. "Show me." He nodded then reluctantly changed his face for her to see. She touched his face as she looked at the monster for the first time then surprised Klaus by leaning forward to kiss him softly. When she pulled away his face was back to normal. "Were you ever going to tell me?" She asked him and he smiled.

"You might not believe this, but I was planning to tell you on New Year's Eve." He replied and she nodded. "Why don't you and I go have a chat?" He asked her.

"Sure." She smiled then stood up and the two of them walked out of the house.

"That went pretty well." Caroline said to Damon and he laughed.

"Zaza's awesome. I told you she'd be cool." Damon replied and Caroline rolled her eyes. "You just think everyone's going to freak out like you did that morning you smacked me with a lamp." He smirked and she laughed.

"I woke up with a huge bite mark on my neck, what did you expect?" She giggled.

"Morning sex." He replied and she laughed and everyone else rolled their eyes at him.

"It might have been different if we had been together for a while before you revealed yourself as Dracula." She replied and he chuckled.

"Dracula? I'm so much cooler than that dude." Damon replied and they all laughed.

"Did you know that Nicky was planning to tell her on New Year's Eve?" Caroline asked Damon and he smirked.

"Mmhmm." He nodded.

"You know something else too, don't you?" She raised an eyebrow and he chuckled.

"I know lots of things." He smirked.

"Tell me?" She grinned and he laughed.

"Nope." He replied and she nudged him.

"Not fair." She replied and he laughed.

"You can't keep anything to yourself." He reminded her and she pouted.

"Can so." She replied and he kissed her.

"So... why don't you try on that wonder woman costume?" He suggested as he nibbled at her ear and she closed her eyes and tried not to groan.

"Babe, we have guests." She replied and he moved down to her neck.

"So?" Damon asked against her skin and she shivered.

"Yes, please. Remember the guests." Bonnie smirked and Damon pulled away with a groan.

"What is wrong with you two?" Stefan chuckled.

"Have you been drinking Viagra blood or something?" Seth asked and Damon chuckled.

"I don't need Viagra." Damon smirked and they laughed. "We so need to extend our vacation. We're interrupted constantly here." Damon said to Caroline and she giggled.

"Can't really argue with that." She smirked at him.

"The beach bed." Damon grinned at her and she laughed.

"When do we leave?" Caroline cocked an eyebrow and he grinned at her.

* * *

><p>Klaus and Zara were sitting on the couch facing each other in Klaus' house across the field. He'd just explained the Originals, the curse, he was honest about what he'd done and how he had changed thanks to Damon, he told her how the kids were possible and he told her about Russia. She cried when he told her that Damon had died and that he would have been killed had it not been for Damon. She was devastated that her Klaus could have died and she would never have known the truth. She was eternally grateful to Damon for what he'd done and although she had to admit he had a sketchy past... She couldn't overlook how wonderful he'd been to her and his friends.<p>

"I still love you." She said to him and he smiled.

"I don't deserve your love, Zara. But I have to admit I have never been happier in my 1000 years than I am with you." He said and she felt the sting of tears at his words again.

"Why were you planning to tell me on New Year's Eve?" She asked him and he looked nervous.

"I love you and I want to be with you... I was going to tell you so that you would know who I really am as we start the New Year." He replied.

"Is that all?" She asked him curiously.

"What do you mean?" He replied confused.

"Well, if you love me and want to be with me, wouldn't you telling me your secret mean that you would want me to turn into a vampire too?" She asked him and he looked surprised.

"If you wanted to do that." He nodded. "I would never pressure you to do so nor would I ever have you turned against your will." He promised. "I just want you to be happy and if you would rather do that away from this world, I would understand." He explained. "If I thought that would make you happy, I would let you go." He promised and she kissed him.

"A lot of things have happened in my life and before I met you, I was unhappy. Meeting you brought joy to my life and I adore you, Klaus." She said softly. "I don't care that you're a vampire hybrid or that you have lived for over a millennium... I care about the fact that you make me so happy." She said and he grinned widely.

"You make me happy too." He said sincerely then went over to a drawer and pulled out a small box. "I was going to wait until New Years, but..." He trailed off and got down on one knee in front of her. "Zara Van Sandt, I love you more than words could say..." He said then opened the box. "Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" He asked her and she grinned.

"Yes!" She exclaimed as tears fell down her cheeks and he slid the ring on her finger. It was a large art deco styled ruby and diamond ring and she adored it. She jumped into his arms and hugged him close to her then pulled back and kissed him deeply. It was the happiest moment of Klaus' long life.

* * *

><p>Damon was grinning like an idiot when he heard her say yes. He'd been listening closely to their conversation and it took extra effort for him to hear that far away but it was worth it. He was so pleased for Klaus and Zara that he felt like he would burst.<p>

"What are you so happy about?" Caroline asked him curiously and he laughed.

"Nothing." He lied still grinning like an idiot. Minutes later Klaus sped into the room with Zara in his arms and he set her down.

"That was exhilarating." Zara giggled and he grinned at her. "Do you want to tell them?" She asked him proudly.

"Everyone, we have an announcement." Klaus said and Caroline saw that Damon was still grinning. "Zara and I are engaged." He said and Caroline squealed in delight and threw herself at Klaus and squeezed him tightly as Damon hugged Zara then they swapped. Everyone else came over and hugged them too and said their congratulations.

"I am so happy for you!" Caroline nearly yelled in glee and Damon chuckled.

"Tone it down a little, Barbie." Damon smirked at her then the grin escaped on his face again.

"How did you know?" Caroline asked him and Klaus shot him a look.

"I was eavesdropping." Damon smirked and Zara looked surprised that he could hear that far away.

"You knew! You knew he was going to propose!" Caroline exclaimed to Damon and he chuckled.

"Guilty." Damon smirked. "But he was supposed to do it on New Year."

"Let me see your ring." Caroline gushed ignoring him and Zara gave Caroline her hand. "Oh my god! It's beautiful!" She grinned.

"It is." Zara smiled at Klaus. "I've always loved rubies. It's perfect." She smiled then kissed Klaus.

"When's the wedding?" Caroline grinned and Damon physically lifted her up and put her on his lap as he sat down.

"They only got engaged five minutes ago. Calm down." Damon said to her and everyone laughed. "Just because we got married half an hour after we got engaged, doesn't mean everyone does that." Damon pointed out and she smiled.

"Fine. I'll tone it down." She rolled her eyes. "But it's still so exciting!" She exclaimed and Damon chuckled.

"Stef, we have to get girlfriends." Ric muttered and everyone laughed.

"This will be so great! First, Klaus and Zara will get married then Seth and Bonnie and we'll find girls for Stefan and Ric and with the babies... everything will be perfect!" Caroline exclaimed and Damon covered her mouth with his hand causing everyone to laugh.

"Barbie. Calm down. And the Captain and Judgy haven't even banged each other yet so no talk of their wedding, okay?" Damon asked her and she rolled her eyes and nodded. Everyone laughed except Seth and Bonnie who were looking around uncomfortably.

The food was ready shortly afterwards and the group of friends sat down at the table and had their Christmas dinner while celebrating Klaus and Zara's engagement. At the end of the day, Caroline and Damon lay cuddled up in bed together after Caroline had worn the costume for Damon and he'd opened his other presents to reveal different outfits for her to wear for him and some other little things that she thought he would like.

"Today was such a great day." Caroline smiled at her husband and he kissed her.

"It was." He smiled back.

"I love you." She said to him and he chuckled.

"I love you too." He said back to her.

"I'm a little afraid of what's going to happen next." She admitted and he looked confused.

"Why?" He asked her.

"Because things have been going so incredibly well for everyone and it just doesn't seem real most of the time. I keep thinking that something bad is going to happen to ruin all of this for us." She said shakily and he hugged her closer to him.

"Don't worry." He said to her softly. "Everything will be fine. No point in worrying about something you can't control." He replied though, he had to admit, he'd been wondering the same thing.

* * *

><p><strong>If you want to see Caroline &amp; Zara's rings and Caroline's tiara, check out my profile :)<strong>


	21. Original Changes

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 21

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><p>It was the 14th of January and Damon had been sitting alone drinking all day. But not the usual glass... He was chugging straight out of the bottle. Caroline was worried because he kept just saying that he was fine and there was nothing wrong, he just felt like drinking. He'd gone through seven bottles of whiskey and half a bottle of vodka until he was so drunk he couldn't really speak. He refused to talk even if he could speak and finally Caroline went over to Klaus' house to speak to Stefan. She walked in and found everyone lounging around.<p>

"Stef, can I talk to you for a sec." She said and he could tell by her tone that something was wrong. The others looked alarmed but she hadn't asked to speak to them so they kept their distance though were there in case she needed them. Stefan followed her outside and away from the house.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked concerned.

"It's Damon." She said quietly. "He was fine yesterday, then this morning he went into the kitchen saw the calendar and went straight to the liquor cabinet. He's had nearly eight bottles straight and he's sitting like a lump and can't speak. I don't understand. He won't talk to me." She said a little hysterically though she was trying to keep her voice low.

"What's the date?" Stefan asked.

"The 14th." She replied immediately and Stefan sighed.

"Today is the anniversary of Maggie and Dino's death." He said softly and Caroline closed her eyes. She felt so stupid for not knowing that.

"Oh, god." She said and she felt tears spring to her eyes. She had no idea what she could do for him.

"He always gets like this on the 14th of January." Stefan replied. "He gets out of his mind drunk and passes out until the morning then he's fine." He said and Caroline nodded.

"I just wish there was something I could do for him." She replied and Stefan could see how much it hurt her to know that Damon was hurting.

"All you can do is put him on the couch and let him sleep it off. I think it might be worse this year with his nerves about Viktor." Stefan said and Caroline looked confused.

"What nerves?" She asked and Stefan closed his eyes realising that she didn't know.

"Never mind." Stefan shook his head but Caroline grabbed his hand and the look she gave him was pleading with him to help her.

"Please." She said to him.

"The closer it gets to his due date, he's getting nervous and worried that something will happen to him. He's just so unbelievably happy with you... He is just waiting for something to go wrong." Stefan replied. "Please don't tell him I told you this, I thought you knew." He said worried.

"I won't say anything." She promised. "Is he worried that the same thing will happen again?" She asked quietly and Stefan nodded.

"I know how badly he wants this to work out and he's terrified of losing you and Viktor. I think today is just a bad day for him." Stefan said.

"He's never going to lose me." Caroline replied sincerely and Stefan smiled at her. "As for Viktor, we don't know what the future holds but all we can do is try to be the best parents we can be for him and hope everything turns out okay." She said. "I told him I had a similar worry since everything's been going well and he said that we shouldn't worry about things we have no control over... but he's worried too and he didn't tell me." She explained. "I just feel useless. There's nothing I can do or say that will ever change what happened... I just wish there was something I could do to comfort him." She said emotionally.

"Just go and be there for him. He's probably feeling pretty crappy right now." Stefan replied and she nodded.

"Keep the others away, will you? Damon wouldn't want them seeing him like that." She said.

"Of course. Call me if there's anything I can help with." Stefan replied and she hugged him.

"Thanks, Stef." She said and he rubbed her back.

"You're welcome, sis." He said and she smiled.

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><p>Caroline walked into the house and Damon was sitting on a chair staring at the wall. She took out a blanket then dragged him by the hand to the couch. She lay down on the inside and pulled him down so that he was facing her on his side then covered them with the blanket and just held him close to her without saying a word. There was nothing she could say but she could hold him and hope that he knew she would always be there, no matter what. After a few minutes he put his arms around her lay his head on her chest and she rubbed circles softly on his back.<p>

"Today's the day Dino died." Damon whispered to her. She didn't want to rat Stefan out so she didn't let on that she knew.

"Oh, babe." She cooed. "I'm so sorry." She whispered back sincerely and held him tighter.

"I love you." He whispered back and she felt a tear fall on her chest.

"I love you, Damon." She said. "I'm not going anywhere, don't worry." She said and he held her tighter.

"Will you stay with me?" Damon asked her shakily and she kissed his head.

"Forever." She replied and he nodded against her chest. "Get some sleep, babe." She said softly. "I'll still be here when you wake up." She promised and he nodded again. A couple of minutes later she felt his breathing change and knew he was asleep. She decided to take a little nap herself while she lay there as from the amount of alcohol he had consumed, he would no doubt be out for a few hours. She fell asleep a short while later.

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><p>Caroline woke up and it was dark outside to her surprise. She moved her head slightly to look at the wall clock and saw that it was nearly 9pm. Damon was still wrapped around her and was fast asleep. She had no intention of moving though as she promised she would stay with him. She realised then what had wakened her as the door was being opened quietly and she looked up to see Stefan. Stefan saw Damon passed out on the couch around Caroline and he smiled. She was so good for him.<p>

"Everything okay?" Stefan whispered and she smiled and nodded.

"We're good." She replied.

"You hungry?" He asked her softly and she nodded. He walked into the kitchen then brought her over a glass of blood. She moved slightly so she could drink it down then handed it back to Stefan. "Anything I can do for you?" Stefan asked as it was obvious Caroline wasn't going anywhere.

"If you could stick on a movie or a show that would be great." She smiled and he nodded. He got out Damon's Supernatural box set and put the first disc on as he knew Caroline hadn't seen any of it.

"Call me when you need the disc changed." He smiled at her and she giggled softly.

"Thanks, Stef." She said and he nodded then left again. Caroline started watching the show and was fascinated by it. She was horrified though when Sam's girlfriend was pulled up to the ceiling by the yellow eyed demon and burned up and had to concentrate so she wouldn't exclaim anything out loud. Three episodes later and she still had Damon curled up in her arms as she watched the show. It was really quite nice actually, aside from the fact he was passed out drunk.

_Caroline?_ She heard Klaus' voice in her head and was instantly startled. She knew he could talk to her telepathically as Damon could but he'd never done it before.

_Klaus?_ She replied confused.

_Thank God! Where's Damon?_ He asked urgently and she was immediately frightened.

_Asleep, why?_ She asked and he seemed to sigh in relief.

_Please wake him! I've been trying to speak to him for over half an hour! I've been worried sick!_ He replied but she could tell something was wrong. She looked down at the sleeping form of Damon and really didn't want to wake him but she had to. She shook him lightly and he started to stir.

"Damon! You have to wake up!" She exclaimed and his eyes opened immediately.

"What's wrong?" He asked huskily.

"Klaus has been urgently trying to contact you." She said and Damon sat up immediately then fell off the couch.

"Fuck." He hissed and if she hadn't been so worried she would have found it funny.

"C'mere." She said and pulled him back on the couch. "Take some blood while you talk to him." She bared her neck and normally he would have protested but if Klaus was in trouble he couldn't be drunk. He gently sank his fangs in her neck and hugged her close to him as he made the connection with Klaus.

_Klaus?_ Damon called.

_Damon! I'm in the woods! Elijah and Edward have me and their witch is putting a spell on me to kill me!_ He exclaimed and Damon drank faster.

_I'm coming!_ Damon exclaimed.

_Be careful! Elijah has a temporary protection spell on him, so he cannot be killed. Don't let him see you! Change form._ Klaus instructed.

_Hang on Klaus. You're going to see your kids, you hear me?_

_I hear you._

Damon pulled away from Caroline and studied her face for a minute.

"Do you trust me?" Damon asked her and her eyes widened.

"You know I do." She nodded.

"Please, just this one time, listen to me. I need you to take the tunnel to Klaus' house. Don't let anyone leave that house, got it?" He asked her and her eyes welled up with tears.

"What's going on?" She exclaimed.

"Elijah took Klaus." Damon said and Caroline burst into tears. "Caroline. Caroline." He repeated to get her attention. "I'll be right back with him, okay? I won't take any chances." He promised her and she kept crying. "Now take the tunnel. Please." He pleaded with her and she nodded.

"I love you so much." She said as she hugged him.

"I love you forever." He replied. "And there's nothing that could ever stop me from coming home to you, okay?" Damon said and she nodded. "Now go." He said to her and she ran down stairs to the man cave and he heard her enter the tunnel then he ran to the woods.

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><p>Caroline sped along the dank tunnel until she reached Klaus' house and she burst through the door, not caring that she broke it.<p>

"What happened?" Stefan exclaimed as they agreed never to use the tunnel unless it was an emergency and he could also see the tears streaming down his face.

"Is everyone here?" She asked as Damon wanted her to keep everyone there.

"Yeah, except Klaus and Damon, why?" He asked and she sniffed.

"Damon asked me to make sure everyone stays here. Klaus has been taken and Damon went after him." She explained through her tears and Stefan's eyes widened.

"I'll go too." Stefan said and she gasped.

"No! Damon wants us all here! They are Originals!" She exclaimed and Stefan nodded.

"Klaus got me a steel chest and back piece that can't be penetrated by wood. I can't be staked if I wear it." Stefan reassured her.

"You can still be beheaded!" She yelled and he smirked.

"They'd have to catch me first." Stefan replied then raced to his room and came back out with the steel pieces under his clothes. "Care, I can't see my brother dead again. I need to help." He said and even though she loved Stefan to pieces, she would risk him for Damon's safety so she nodded reluctantly. Caroline forced the rest of the vampires and Zara into the basement next to the tunnel in case they had to go back to the other house for any reason since other vampires might not be able to enter the house, but they could burn it down.

"What's going on?" Zara asked alarmed as Caroline had lifted her down to the basement and they could all see her tears.

"Elijah took Klaus." Caroline said to her and everybody gasped.

"Where's Damon?" Ric asked in fear and more tears fell from Caroline's eyes.

"He went after him?" Bonnie asked and Caroline nodded.

"He wants us all to stay here so we're staying here. Is that understood?" Caroline asked and they all nodded as they knew not to mess with her in this mood. She was far stronger than any of them anyway so they couldn't exactly overpower her to go help anyway.

"Cookie, he'll be okay. He learned from last time." Seth said as he hugged her close.

"He better be." Caroline replied.

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><p>Damon sped towards where he could feel Klaus. This felt like déjà vu and he wasn't happy about it. Last time he'd taken chances but this time he wouldn't. He had to get in and out as quickly as he could. The most important thing was to just get Klaus back; they could deal with the Originals later. He wondered how they managed to get him again, considering he was an Original. Soon he was close and he could see Elijah hovering over Klaus in the distance and Klaus was screaming and bleeding. Close to Elijah was a witch cooking up some type of spell but closest to Damon was another male vampire who he presumed was Edward. They were all preoccupied with Klaus so Damon was able to sneak forward and rip Edwards heart out without making a sound then he took off deep into the woods as he heard Elijah scream 'no!' when he no doubt felt Edward's death. Damon had been careful so Elijah didn't see who killed his brother. Damon pulled off his shirt and jeans then forced the transformation in seconds, much to his surprise. In his wolf form, he raced back to where Klaus was and as he approached he noticed the witch watching Elijah sadly as he cried over his brother's death. Damon crept forward to Klaus and was astonished at Klaus' scent. Damon leaned his body towards him and Klaus seemed to understand as he pulled himself up on Damon's back then the witch noticed. She was about to inform Elijah when Damon saw two hands on either side of her head then they snapped her neck. As she fell, Damon saw Stefan and he growled and nodded his head to tell Stefan to get the fuck out of there. Klaus held on firmly then Damon and Stefan took off with Elijah close behind. They bolted to the house as fast as their legs could carry them and shot in the door.<p>

_Caroline! You need to give Klaus blood! NOW! He's human and dying!_ Damon exclaimed and Caroline sped up from the basement and rushed over to the bleeding Klaus and helped him off Damon's back then Damon stood guard at the door. She bit into her wrist and forced the blood down his throat though he started sucking it down himself moments later. Damon watched with Stefan behind him and soon Elijah appeared at the door.

"Who killed Edward?" Elijah asked infuriated and Damon remembered why he hated that guy so much. He shocked Stefan by standing up on his hind legs and transforming back to vampire in less than a second then he grabbed Elijah by the throat and dug his fingers into his skin so that he was completely crushing the Original's windpipe.

"I did, pencil boy." Damon smirked and Elijah's eyes widened.

"Damon?" He croaked in disbelief as he tried to pry Damon's hand away without any luck.

"I mean, you would think he would have changed his name after that Twilight fiasco. Sparkly vampires? It's just ridiculous." Damon smirked.

"Why?" Elijah asked in disbelief.

"Because Klaus is my family and you nearly killed him. You'll pay for that one with your life." Damon said.

"You can't." Elijah replied and Damon chuckled and tightened his grip.

"Because of the protection spell?" Damon asked and Elijah's eyes widened. How did he know that? "Your dead witch won't be better than Magdalena. She'll have that spell off you in no time then I'll gladly rip out your heart. Just like I did Edward and Margaret and Philip and the other sister whose name I never remember." He smirked and Elijah looked outraged and confused. Stefan hadn't put it all together until that point and was overwhelmed by the knowledge that his brother had killed four Originals with his bare hands. "Did you think that was Klaus?" Damon chuckled. "No, Klaus killed Lottie though but that bitch deserved it." Damon said and Elijah tried to grab him but it didn't work. "Anyway, I'm bored now." Damon smirked then his face changed and he viciously sunk his fangs into Elijah's neck and quickly drained him dry until he was completely desiccated and Damon dropped him on the ground then turned. "Anyone got any pants?" Damon chuckled and Stefan rolled his eyes and went into his room and got Damon a pair of his jeans and handed them over. Damon pulled them on and buttoned them then leaned against the doorway so he could watch both Klaus and Elijah. "How you doing down there?" Damon asked seriously.

"To use your word... I'm peachy." Klaus replied painfully and Damon chuckled.

"Did you get enough blood to turn?" Damon asked seriously and Klaus nodded. "Don't worry, we'll get you back to your hybrid self in no time." Damon added.

"You are now the only hybrid in the world." Klaus replied and Damon deadpanned.

"Well, that doesn't work for me so I will do with you the same thing you did with me. I'll strengthen you up then when you're strong enough I'll turn you hybrid." Damon said.

"I thought you didn't want anyone to have to go through that." Stefan said surprised.

"I don't." Damon replied. "But Klaus made me a promise when I became this so he has to stick around to make sure he keeps it." Damon said and Caroline's face fell.

"You mean... In case something happens to me?" Caroline asked hesitantly and Damon nodded.

"And I will my brother." Klaus said quietly. Caroline took his hand. "Please, kill me. This is too painful." Klaus said to Caroline as he groaned in pain.

"How?" She asked sceptically.

"Break my neck." Klaus replied and her eyes widened.

"I don't know how." She said emotionally but before Klaus could reply, Damon sped forward and snapped his neck then went back to the door. Caroline blinked in surprise but was grateful that Damon didn't want her to have to do it.

"Stef, do you have your phone there?" Damon asked and Stefan handed over his phone and Damon dialled Magdalena's number.

"_Hello?_" She answered.

"Magda, its Damon." He replied.

"_Hello, Damon. What's the problem?_" She asked alarmed.

"Can you come out to the house? Elijah attacked tonight and he has a protection spell on him so I can't kill him." Damon replied.

"_Of course. I'll be there as soon as I can._" She said.

"Thanks." He said then hung up.

"So, Klaus is going to be like a baby vamp?" Caroline asked in disbelief and Damon nodded.

"Stef, take Zaza over to my house. Klaus wouldn't want her to be in any danger." Damon said. "Take the tunnel. Until Elijah's dead, nobody goes outside. I need to sweep the woods to make sure nobody else is out there." He instructed.

"Ric, Seth and Bonnie can take her over to the house. I'll help you search the woods while Caroline takes care of Klaus." Stefan countered and Damon nodded.

"Good idea. You were stupid to follow me." Damon said angrily and Stefan sighed.

"I put the steel pieces on." Stefan replied and Damon shook his head in annoyance.

"You can still be beheaded!" Damon exclaimed and Stefan chuckled.

"I said the same thing." Caroline added and Damon winked at her.

"It's a good thing I did follow you. That witch could have stopped you." Stefan said and Damon sighed.

"This time it's a good thing. Next time, stay in the fucking house." Damon warned.

"Then make me a hybrid." Stefan replied and Damon sighed. He knew that Stefan wanted to be a hybrid too but he still wasn't sure his baby bro could handle the change.

"Maybe. I'll think about it." Damon said. "But not until Bonnie has her powers back. She would definitely have to do the bloodlust spell on you." Damon pointed out and Stefan nodded. Maybe was better than no way in hell. "We'd have to seriously sit and talk about that, Stef." Damon said.

"I know you don't like it, Damon, but it would help if there was an extra hybrid, like tonight." Stefan replied.

"I agree." Damon nodded. "But Stef, the temptation to turn it off is 100 times higher as a hybrid. Could you really deal with that?" Damon asked sincerely. "When I turned I was happily in love with Caroline so I had a reason to deny the temptation but you saw when Lockwood happened how easily it just switched." Damon replied. "Before I would even consider turning you, you would need to assure me that you're happy enough in your life to deny the temptation." Damon explained and Stefan nodded.

"As much as I would love to find someone like you have, I am happy, Damon. I have you in my life again and the best friends anyone could ever have. I love my sister and I can't wait to be an Uncle. Life is good." He smiled and Damon could see how much he meant it. He was also pleased that Stefan considered Caroline his sister.

"Okay, Stef." Damon nodded. "You've convinced me." Damon shrugged. "But we still need to talk about this thoroughly. I'll need to go over everything with you and we need to wait until Judgy is in power again unless Magdalena can do the same spell." Damon added. "And if we are going to do it, it needs to be soon so you're used to it when Vik gets here."

"Used to it?" Stefan asked confused.

"You won't know your own strength." Damon said uncomfortably. "I really hurt Caroline once but thankfully she wasn't breakable like a baby is." Damon replied. Stefan had no idea that it was so difficult but he never wanted to hurt his nephew so he knew he'd have to consider this fully. There was obviously a lot about it that he didn't know.

"We'll need to sit and really talk about it." Stefan agreed and Damon was glad that Stefan was really thinking about it rather than just agreeing blindly like he had. "We have time."

"It doesn't need to be this year, Stef. We could wait a couple of years until you've basically been an Original for a couple of years. That would most likely make the transition a lot easier." Damon shrugged and Stefan nodded.

"We'll talk to Klaus at some point and he can help us decide if I should do it and if so, when." Stefan agreed.

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><p>Klaus woke up in transition shortly before Magdalena arrived. Caroline got Klaus blood to complete the transition and he drank it down. Magdalena removed the protection spell on Elijah then left.<p>

"Do you want to say anything to him before I kill him?" Damon asked Klaus after he turned.

"Yes." Klaus nodded.

"He'll need some blood then." Damon sighed and Caroline brought over a bag. Damon forced a little down Elijah's throat and when he started to heal, Damon held him up by the throat as he stood behind him so Klaus could speak to him.

"You made Damon a hybrid?" Elijah asked his brother in disbelief. "Why would you do that? Are you out of your mind?"

"Damon is more of a brother to me than you ever were." Klaus replied. "You have tried to kill me several times, yet I still care for you brother."

"If you care for me, why would you allow Damon to kill me?" Elijah countered and Klaus chuckled.

"Well, thanks to you and your witch, I am now a just turned vampire. If you think there's anything I can do to stop him, you are mistaken. He is now the only hybrid and strongest creature on the planet. If he wants you dead, you will be dead." Klaus replied.

"If it wasn't clear, I want you dead." Damon added and Klaus sighed.

"Elijah, if you had just left us alone, we would have left you alone." Klaus said.

"How could I ever believe that?" Elijah asked.

"Because I am about to become a father." Klaus said and Elijah's jaw dropped.

"How?" He asked in disbelief.

"A spelled necklace that turns the wearer human." Klaus replied. "I am having twins actually. A boy and a girl." Klaus smiled softly. "They are far more important to me than power or hunting you down."

"Klaus, I'm not risking the kids." Damon said to him and Klaus understood that no matter what, Elijah was going to die.

"I know." Klaus nodded. "I wish things had been different, Elijah, but they're not, so... Goodbye." Klaus said then walked away from the hallway into the living room so he wouldn't see it. Damon yanked Elijah into the woods and Stefan followed behind him with a shovel.

"You and I could be allies." Elijah said to Damon and Damon chuckled.

"See, the problem with that is I can't stand you and you break your word. I hate traitors." Damon replied.

"Well it seems that breaking my word worked out to your advantage." Elijah pointed out and Damon smirked.

"True." He nodded. "I think of Klaus as my brother now. He's family and I'll do anything to protect him. Even kill you." Damon said.

"He will turn on you one day." Elijah said and Damon smiled.

"I don't believe that." Damon said then he forced his hand into Elijah's chest. "Say hi to Lottie for me." Damon smirked then pulled out Elijah's heart. Damon dug a quick grave and sunk Elijah into it then did the same with Edward and the witch. Stefan helped him then the two of them scoured the woods for traces of anyone else being there. They found nobody else though Damon did find his clothes from earlier and took them back to Klaus' house.

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><p>Damon and Stefan went in the door and Caroline jumped on Damon so hard he fell over on his back with her on top and he chuckled.<p>

"As you can see, I'm fine." Damon smirked at her and she kissed him.

"Thank God!" She sighed and hugged him close.

"As much as I love you being on top..." He chuckled. "I need to speak to Klaus and find out what the hell happened." He said and she reluctantly got off him and Damon jumped to his feet. He walked through to the living room and found Klaus on the couch sulking. "How you doing?" Damon asked him and Klaus shot him a dirty look.

"I'm a baby vampire again after 1000 years, how do you think?" He asked and Damon rolled his eyes and sat across from him.

"How did they get you anyway?" Damon asked annoyed.

"I was coming back through the woods from feeding in town when I heard a rustle, turned around and blacked out." Klaus explained. "I woke up shortly after and I was lying on the ground with Elijah hovering over me and I couldn't move. The spell took ages to complete and I kept trying to contact you." Klaus replied and Damon narrowed his eyes at him.

"So this is my fault now?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"If you hadn't been asleep they wouldn't have finished the spell." Klaus replied and Damon shook his head.

"You survived without me for 1000 years, you should have been more careful. I'm not your personal fucking bodyguard you know." Damon snapped. "I'm not going to sit around and stop living my life just in case you need me for something." He said annoyed and Klaus nodded.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm just annoyed at being this." He said. "I didn't mean to take it out on you." Klaus said.

"You're only going to be a regular vampire for a couple of months at the most and aside from you, the Originals are now all dead. We'll just have to be careful with you for a while." Damon replied. He understood that Klaus didn't really blame him.

"I've never been this vulnerable before." Klaus admitted.

"I know. But I'm not going to let you out of my sight until you're back to normal." Damon promised and Klaus smiled at him.

"Thank you." Klaus said sincerely because he truly did love Damon to death.

"For what?" Damon asked confused.

"For being the best friend I've ever had." Klaus replied and Damon chuckled.

"Shut up and drink." Damon smirked then held out his wrist. Klaus chuckled then sunk his fangs into Damon's wrist and drank from him. When he was finished he felt better already. "You can drink from me twice a day and hopefully you'll be back up to full strength in a month or so." Damon shrugged.

"You'll need to explain what happened to Zara. She can't be around me for a few days." Klaus said and Damon nodded.

"Already taken care of. She's at the other house. I think now would be a good time to move you in with us." Damon replied. "You can't be living over here unprotected."

"What about Zara?" Klaus asked.

"She can stay at her apartment in the city until you're ready to be around her. It won't be long, don't worry." Damon smirked. "And I think it would be better if nobody outside our group knew about this. Even your most trusted vampires. They are all stronger than you right now." Damon pointed out and Klaus nodded. "You will need to use the tunnel. I don't want you outside for any reason, got it?" Damon asked and Klaus nodded again reluctantly. "Good. Stef?" Damon called and Stefan came in the room. "Can you drive Zaza home?" Damon asked.

"Sure. I'll explain everything to her on the way." Stefan replied.

"Thank you." Klaus said to Stefan and Stefan smiled at him.

"It's no problem." Stefan replied then left.

"Right, well it's late and I'm still fairly drunk so we should call it a night." Damon smirked.

"Agreed." Klaus said then the three of them took the tunnel over to Damon and Caroline's house.

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><p><strong>Now before you send me hate mail for the Twilight comment - I have no problem with Twilight, I just figured that Damon wouldn't be a fan.<strong>


	22. Birthday Girl

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 22

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><p>It was February 2nd and Caroline's birthday. Klaus had completely moved into Ric's old room and Caroline was almost finished with all the redecorating. The playroom expansion to the living room was complete and now she just had to decorate it and put furniture in it. Ric was in Klaus' old room and Bonnie and Seth were in the two rooms next to each other that had originally been allocated to the twins. They day after Klaus had been taken by Elijah, Bonnie and Seth got a hotel room in the city and finally consummated their relationship so although they had separate rooms, they had slept together every night since then. Bonnie had been waiting for a number of reasons but realised how short life could be and she was falling in love with Seth and figured there was no reason to wait any longer.<p>

Zara was very understanding with Klaus and was trying to help him the best she could but he wasn't particularly good with patience. He tried to be on his best behaviour around her which meant he poured his complaints out to Damon. Basically he was driving Damon nuts. Damon continued to feed him his blood twice a day and Klaus was already half way back to normal. Klaus had a bit of cabin fever as he'd only been in the two houses and the tunnel for over two weeks. Damon didn't leave much but he did have to go into the city to pick up stuff for Caroline's birthday and he left Stefan to watch over Klaus. On the day of Caroline's birthday, Damon was cooking her favourite foods and he bought her a few gifts, though because he'd gone overboard at Christmas, there wasn't much left to get her. Damon was in the kitchen making pasta arrabiata when Klaus came in.

"That smells nice." Klaus pointed out.

"It's Barbie's favourite pasta." Damon shrugged.

"What did you get her?" Klaus asked curiously.

"She's coming over the field with Zaza, she might hear." Damon replied and Klaus huffed.

"I would probably be able to hear that normally but since I'm this useless vampire now, I can't." Klaus said and Damon narrowed his eyes at him. "I couldn't even go and get her a gift." He complained.

"Klaus, you're my brother and I love you but if you don't stop fucking complaining about this just for today, I'm going to stake your old ass! And I'm being deadly serious so don't push it." Damon warned.

"Fine." Klaus huffed.

"I went and got the gift for her that you wanted to give her so stop being an old moany git." Damon snapped.

"Fine." Klaus muttered and walked out into the hallway to greet the girls and Damon rolled his eyes. Caroline came into the house and went into the kitchen.

"Did I seriously just hear you threaten to stake, Nicky?" She asked in disbelief and Klaus chuckled as he knew she wouldn't be happy about that.

"He's driving me fucking nuts with all the constant complaining!" Damon yelled and she went over to him and hugged him.

"Just calm down, babe. You're not really going to stake him." She said with a smile and Damon raised his eyebrow at her.

"Want a bet?" He asked her and she rolled her eyes.

"Just attempt to restrain yourself." She muttered. "This smells awesome." She said pointing to the pasta.

"Whatever." He grumped and she looked at him curiously.

_What's really got you so grumpy?_ She asked him telepathically.

_We are going to have to cancel our vacation because of his old ass._ Damon replied and

_Why?_ She asked surprised.

_Because he can't be left unprotected._ Damon replied.

_Well we can go after Viktor is born then._ She shrugged and Damon looked at her like she'd grown and arm.

_Are you nuts? I can't leave his old ass alone for five minutes without him getting abducted! You think I'm going to leave my son!_ Damon exclaimed and she chuckled.

_Damon, stop saying old ass._ She replied and he huffed.

_It's not like it's not true._ Damon huffed as he stirred the sauce.

_We could take him with us._ She smiled and Damon rolled his eyes.

_Just what I need! More time with Klaus!_ Damon replied and she laughed.

_And you call me a drama queen._ She smirked and he deadpanned.

_Nothing about this situation is funny._ Damon said and she hugged him.

_Babe, he'll probably be back to being a hybrid then._ She pointed out.

_Yes, but then he's going to have to readjust to it like I had to and Bonnie still doesn't have her powers back and I haven't had time to ask Magda if she can do that spell._ Damon rambled and Caroline kissed him.

_You're worrying too much._ She said.

_You're not worrying enough! He could be a major liability as a hybrid considering he's only been a vampire again for less than three weeks!_ Damon exclaimed.

_Hear me out before you start again._ She said warningly. _Why don't we take everyone with us to Turks and Caicos but they can all stay at a different resort so we still get our vacation but we're close enough to everyone in case they need us, then when we go to the rainforest they can stay in a nearby town while we explore. Somewhere we can get back to them quickly if we need to. We wouldn't have to see them at all unless there's a problem._ She suggested and he sighed.

_Fine._ Damon huffed. _But the rainforest thing we're doing alone. They can go on the cruise for a week before us. They'll be trapped on a boat so nobody will be able to abduct Klaus because how the hell are they going to know where the boat is._ Damon said.

_Deal, babe._ She smiled at him in the hopes she wouldn't laugh. She just thought he was being so ridiculous and he was too funny when he was grumpy. _Since we sorted that out, can you stop grumping now?_ She asked with a smile and he smirked.

_Since it's your birthday and all._ He nodded.

"I love you." She said out loud and he kissed her.

"Ti amo anche io." He replied and she smiled.

"You know we haven't been speaking Italian to each other. I'll end up forgetting what I learned." She said and he shrugged.

"Possiamo parlare quanto volete." He replied and she giggled. _(We can speak it as much as you like.)_

"Fa caldo quando si parla." She grinned and he smirked. _(It's hot when you speak it.)_

"È così? Lo sai che il mio trattamento di compleanno in programma per voi." Damon said seductively. _(Is that so? You know I have my own birthday treat planned for you.)_

"Davvero? Che cosa farete per me?" Caroline raised an eyebrow and him and he leaned over and started to suck on her neck. _(Really? What will you do to me?)_

"Some of us understand what you're saying, you know." Klaus said as he entered the kitchen and Damon pulled away from Caroline annoyed.

"What part of 'I'll stake your old ass' didn't you get?" Damon snapped and Caroline shot him a look.

"Fine." Klaus huffed then left the kitchen again.

"Quindi... Dove eravamo rimasti?" Damon returned to her neck and she giggled. _(So... Where were we?)_

"Stavi per dirmi cosa avete intenzione di fare." She replied and he shuddered. It was just so hot. _(You were going to tell me what you're going to do.)_ Damon sped into the living room.

"Nobody comes into the kitchen." He ordered then sped back into the kitchen and closed the door behind him. He went to Caroline and lifted her up onto the kitchen counter and she laughed. She was wearing a dress so he reached up under it and pulled down her underwear. "Ti faccio vedere." He smirked. _(I'll show you.)_ Damon dropped down to his knees and spread her legs and slowly ran his tongue from her entrance to her bundle of nerves and she gasped. She knew that everyone else was in the living room so she would have to be quiet. Damon swirled his tongue in just the way that she loved and she grabbed his hair with one hand while she held onto the counter with the other. She bit her lip to keep from making a sound but couldn't help the little moan that escaped when he entered her with his fingers. He knew exactly what to do to drive her crazy so it didn't take long until her legs shook and he quickened the movement of his fingers while slowing the movements of his tongue to draw it out for her. He held up his wrist of the hand that wasn't busy for her to bite into and when she did she came and was thankful that her mouth was too busy for her to scream out. He kept going until he was sure she was finished then stood up and kissed her. _You taste incredible._ He smirked. He hadn't wanted to say it out loud and embarrass her.

_You can't seriously be done._ She raised her eyebrow and he chuckled.

_What do you want?_ He asked cocking his head to the side.

_I want you to drop your pants and fuck me._ She replied and his jaw dropped at her dirty mouth but he wasn't one to argue with his wife. He had them down and was inside her in a blink of the eye and she gasped at the sudden sensation.

_Happy?_ He asked as he thrust into her.

_Oh, yeah._ She replied then wrapped her legs around him. She giggled when he stopped for a second to stir the sauce then returned with a smirk.

* * *

><p>The rest of the group were not impressed. Zara didn't care because she couldn't hear them.<p>

"I can't believe they're at it in the kitchen." Stefan muttered.

"It's Cookie's birthday, if she wants ploughed in the kitchen then that's up to her." Seth chuckled and they laughed.

"At least they're being quiet this time." Bonnie giggled.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Damon finished up then the food was ready. Caroline got redressed as did Damon and she made her way into the dining room to set the table while Damon served the food after washing his hands. He brought out the plates to the table then got himself a bottle of booze.<p>

"Dinner's ready." Damon said smugly as he'd just had great sex and they hadn't.

"Is it still edible?" Stefan raised an eyebrow and Damon deadpanned.

"Fine, don't eat it then." Damon replied and went to sit at the table next to Caroline.

"You're really grumpy today." Caroline pointed out and Damon shrugged. Everyone piled into the dining room and chuckled when they saw Damon tucking in to the food instead of waiting for them.

"Oh, so my food is good enough now?" Damon quipped in annoyance and Caroline elbowed him softly.

"You sound like a jilted housewife." Caroline said and everyone laughed.

"Whatever." Damon huffed and kept eating.

"Happy birthday." Stefan smiled at Caroline and Damon rolled his eyes. Everyone except Caroline was just annoying him to no end. He decided to just ignore them all until he could be alone with her again. He didn't want to ruin her birthday by snapping at them all.

"Thanks." She replied happily.

"I think we should sing." Bonnie said and Damon huffed in annoyance. So much for not snapping.

"Really? Really? Sing the happy birthday song?" Damon asked Bonnie. "With the exception of Zaza, we're all vampires. Why would we sing that awful song?" Damon snapped.

"Because it's her birthday?" Seth asked Damon and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." Damon said then started to eat again. He was so close to losing it, he figured it would be better to just eat and ignore them...

"Damon, what's wrong with you?" Stefan asked and Caroline shot Stefan a look to shut up but it was too late. Damon kissed Caroline's cheek then stood up.

"This was fun, but I'm out of here." Damon replied then walked right out the front door and Caroline sighed. She knew that everything was just getting too much for him.

"What the hell?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"One sec." Caroline said then raced after Damon. She caught up to him in the woods. "Babe, talk to me." She said concerned and he surprised her by punching a tree as hard as he could, causing it to snap and fall over.

"I'm fed up!" He yelled loudly.

"Of what?" She asked softly. They were secure in their relationship so she knew it wasn't her that was bothering him.

"Everything!" He yelled back.

"Even me?" She raised an eyebrow. She knew it wasn't but if he thought he'd hurt her feelings he would calm down and talk. He sighed loudly but visibly calmed down.

"No, not you." He said. "Everything else. We're playing house with everyone for months. I don't get two minutes with you because there's always someone else there. Everyone else's problems are always our problems and I'm fucking sick of it! We spend every waking moment with all of them and I can't do it anymore! I miss the days when I just fucking hated everyone because at least then I got two minutes fucking peace!" He yelled and she nodded. She'd seen this building up in him for some time. "Why is it that I can't just have sex with my wife without getting endless commentary on it? Huh? And it's your birthday today and I know I'm ruining it by my meltdown but all I wanted was to do something special for you but instead we always have to consider the fucking Brady bunch's feelings with everything we do! I just wanted to whisk you away somewhere like Milan and take you shopping or even out to dinner just the two of us! We don't have much time left to just be together before Vik gets here and then we'll never get to be just us again! We haven't even been married a year but the only time I get with you alone is when we're sleeping! It's not fucking fair, Caroline!" Damon shouted and she felt tears well up in her eyes as she had no idea that he'd wanted time with her like that just like she wanted time with him. She walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Tell you what? You go into town and book us a hotel room for the night; I'll go back to the house and finish dinner with them then pack us an overnight bag and join you in an hour." She said then kissed him. "What do you think? That gives you a little time to yourself then we can just be together tonight and tomorrow." She smiled and he hugged her again.

"God, I love you." He said to her and she giggled.

"I know. I love you too." She replied then he kissed her deeply. "Call me with what hotel it is." She replied and he nodded then took off through the woods to head to the city. Caroline smiled as she had to admit, she would rather spend the night with him alone too. She went back to the house and sat back down.

"Did you catch him?" Stefan asked concerned and she smiled.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"And?" Stefan asked.

"Sweetie, I mean this in the nicest possible way, it's between us." She said and he nodded. He actually really respected that Caroline didn't blab everything about her relationship with Damon. "And, Stef? Can you stay here tonight? Damon and I are staying at a hotel in the city for the night." She said.

"Sure." Stefan nodded.

"I'm not a baby, you know." Klaus said.

"True, but if somehow you get yourself kidnapped tonight, I think Damon will kill you himself." She replied and Klaus chuckled.

"Understood." He smiled at her. He gathered that Damon needed some time with his wife.

* * *

><p>Damon booked the honeymoon suite in a swanky hotel and got a few bottles of champagne, strawberries and her favourite chocolates as well as a bouquet of pink roses for her then waited in the hotel. He lounged on the couch and watched Dutch TV and was ridiculously happy to sit by himself doing nothing at all. He loved Caroline even more in that moment, if that was possible, as she just understood him. Soon she showed up and he let her in the door with a grin on his face. She could tell instantly that he was much happier than earlier and was glad she could put the smile on his face.<p>

"Feeling better?" She asked him and he nodded.

"How did I end up with the most understanding, beautiful and wonderful wife in the world?" He asked her and she giggled.

"Just lucky, I guess." She grinned and he chuckled then kissed her. They sat down on the couch and she curled into his chest as he put his arms around her.

"So, what did Mr Nosy say?" Damon asked annoyed and she giggled.

"Stefan just wanted to know what was wrong with you." She replied and he smirked. He loved that she understood who he was talking about right away.

"And what did you say?" He asked curiously and she shrugged.

"That it was none of his business." She replied and he laughed.

"Really?" He asked like a little kid who was just told he was going to Disneyland and she giggled.

"Really." She nodded.

"I love you." He said then kissed her head.

"I know." She chirped.

"So what did everybody get you for your birthday?" Damon asked.

"Nicky got me theatre tickets in the VIP box and an evening dress to wear to the show. Zara got me a Bobbie Brown makeup kit and brushes. Bonnie got me a cashmere scarf and a Swarovski watch with light blue crystals on the strap. Stefan got me the pink iPhone5. Ric got me Chanel sunglasses and a vacation bag though I'm pretty sure Bonnie advised him on that." She giggled and Damon smirked. "Seth got me the Swarovski crystal hummingbird figurine I wanted." She smiled. "I loved everything." She said and Damon nodded.

"Good, I'm glad." He said. "I have a couple of things for you at the house but you'll have to get them when we go home." He replied.

"You never have to get me anything. I'd be happy with a kiss." She smiled and he chuckled and kissed her. He'd used the same line on her when they were at Christmas with her mother. "There. Very happy." She grinned at him and he laughed.

"What did Liz and Roger send you?" He asked.

"They're giving me their present in person when they come over in April. Mom says she doesn't want to risk sending it." She shrugged and Damon nodded.

"I do have a gift for you that I can tell you about." He said and she giggled.

"What's that?" She asked curiously.

"Well, tomorrow I have an appointment for you that I'm taking you to." Damon smirked and she looked intrigued.

"An appointment?" She asked curiously.

"You're meeting one of the Chanel designers." He said and she squealed in glee and jumped on his lap and kissed him and he laughed. "I wasn't done yet." He said and she giggled embarrassed.

"Sorry. It's just... Chanel is my favourite!" She exclaimed and he grinned.

"I know." He nodded. "So you're meeting the designer tomorrow and she is going to help you design a full line of clothes, bags and shoes for just you to wear." Damon said and her jaw dropped then she was kissing him again.

"That's the best present ever!" She exclaimed and he chuckled.

"I'm glad." He smiled at her and she grinned widely.

"Where do you even come up with these amazing ideas?" She asked him and he smirked.

"I might be a jackass but I do listen to you when you ramble on and on." He pointed out. "You can design anything you want; she's at your disposal the whole day tomorrow and the day after that." He smiled. "Once you come up with the designs together, she'll get them made for you and sent to you."

"Thank you so much." She said as tears started to well in her eyes.

"If you really like it, please don't cry." He chuckled. "I don't know how to deal with weeping women." He said and she giggled despite her tears.

"This is so exciting." She smiled.

"If you enjoy it, I can have this arranged for you again anytime you want." Damon said seriously and she grinned.

"You spoil me something rotten, you know that?" She asked and he chuckled.

"It's worth it to see you happy." He replied and she hugged him.

"How about just on my birthday?" She asked. "Otherwise I'll be too spoiled." She giggled and he hugged her closer.

"Anything you want." He agreed then she noticed the flowers, champagne, chocolate and strawberries.

"Did you get all that?" She pointed and he nodded. "Want to get started?" She asked seductively and he smirked.

"Obviously." He replied.

* * *

><p>The two of them were lying naked in bed under the covers cuddled into each other watching an old movie that was on Dutch TV when Damon grinned.<p>

"Do you hear that?" He asked her casually and she looked at him confused.

"Hear what?" She asked.

"Listen closely." He said to her and she did.

"I don't hear anything." She said and he smirked at her.

"Exactly." He said and she giggled at her stupid husband.

"This is nice." She agreed softly.

"It's heaven." Damon chuckled. "I don't ever want to go back." He said and she giggled.

"You hate hotels." She replied and he shrugged.

"Not anymore." He replied and she laughed. "Let's not go back." He said to her seriously and her jaw dropped.

"You're serious." She replied and he nodded. "We have to go back." She said and he sighed.

"Why? They're all vampires. They can look out for themselves." Damon huffed and she giggled. "You know, if I make Stefan a hybrid too, he could look out for Klaus and we could just go on vacation." He said and she laughed.

"And who would look out for Stefan?" She asked him softly.

"You're too nice for our own good." Damon muttered and she kissed him.

"What about Viktor? We couldn't just leave him." She said.

"What about after he's born? Why don't the three of us just take off to the vacation house in Virginia and stay there together for a few months?" He asked her and she had to admit it wasn't a bad idea as she'd get to spend some time with her mother. That and she loved the vacation house.

"Okay." She said and Damon's jaw dropped.

"Okay?" He asked her in disbelief.

"After Viktor's born and my mother's been to Amsterdam for a month, we'll go home to Virginia for a month and just be a family." She said to him and he grinned widely.

"Really?" He asked and she nodded.

"We were going to go over for a couple of weeks for the wedding anyway, so we can extend it." She smiled and he kissed her.

"I can't wait for it to be just the three of us." Damon grinned.

"We should call Noelle in the morning and see if she wants to come out to dinner with us or something. You haven't talked to Viktor since Klaus was made human again." She said and Damon huffed.

"I know." Damon replied annoyed.

"Should I call her tomorrow then?" Caroline asked and Damon nodded.

"Do you think she would be willing to go through it again?" Damon asked curiously and Caroline chuckled.

"Don't you want to wait until he gets here before planning another one?" She asked amused and he smirked.

"I'm getting ahead of myself." He replied and she giggled.

"So am I, babe." She smiled. "It's just because we're excited. We only have 9 weeks to go." She grinned.

"The first few months passed so quickly but since that DVD Zaza gave us for my birthday, it seems that time is just dragging by." Damon commented and she laughed.

"I'm desperate for him to be here too... Believe me. Every time I see his crib in our room I just get this jolt of excitement." She smiled and Damon nodded.

"Tell anyone this and I'll deny it... but I keep looking at the tiny clothes." Damon chuckled and she smiled widely.

"That's only because you made me get him clothes to match yours. The tiny leather jacket, black jeans and black shirt." She giggled and he smirked.

"He's my kid; he's going to be cool." Damon replied and she smiled.

"He'll be a lucky little boy since he looks like you." She smiled fondly and he chuckled.

"Let's just hope he doesn't get my curly hair." Damon smirked and she kissed him.

"I'd love to see this infamous curly hair, you know." She replied and he grinned.

"Never going to happen, my sweet." He winked and she sighed.

"Well, Stefan can draw really well, you've seen his portraits, I'll just ask him to draw me a picture of what you looked like back then." She smirked evilly and he deadpanned.

"You wouldn't." He tested and she giggled.

"Oh, babe. You know I totally would." She said and he rolled his eyes. Yes, he did know that.

"If I show you a picture, do you promise not to laugh?" He asked her sceptically and she smiled.

"Why would I laugh? I bet you look hot with your curly hair and rosy cheeks." She smiled fondly at him because for her, he could wear a garbage bag and still be the most gorgeous man in the world.

"I'll consider it." He said to her and she grinned knowing she'd won.

* * *

><p>In the morning, they got up early, had a shower together then got dressed. They left the hotel just after 9am as their meeting with the Chanel designer was at 10am at the Chanel office in Amsterdam. They walked in the building and made their way to her office. Damon was planning to stay all day with her, though he knew she would be busy. It gave him time to just relax and not have to worry about what everyone else was doing. Caroline and the woman they met got along really well and went straight to work. Damon read a couple of books while he waited and occasionally peeked over their shoulder and he was stunned to see that Caroline had some serious talent. Her designs were incredible. Even the designer was very impressed with her ideas and innovation in fashion. They went to lunch with her at lunch time then went back to the office. They were done for the day at five and Caroline was looking forward to coming in the next day. She designed three bags, two dresses, a skirt, two tops and one pair of shoes. She was continuing the next day with more shoes and dresses and she also wanted to create her own sunglasses.<p>

After their time in the office, they met Noelle for dinner and both happily spoke to her and the baby. Damon got his question answered as Noelle had grown so fond of the couple, she offered willingly to do it for them again as she knew they wanted a second soon after their first. They thanked her and promised to let her know as soon as they decided to do it again. Noelle was a young student and was using the money to pay for university and her apartment. Damon gave her monthly bonuses though which was no doubt another reason she was interested in doing it for them again.

Caroline and Damon decided to stay the night again in the suite in the hotel as they were having such a good time together away from everyone else and nobody had called with an emergency so they figured everything was fine. They had a great relaxing evening together and in the morning both of them felt like they could go home that day. Damon followed her back to the Chanel office for her second day of designing. The woman was so impressed by Caroline's work, she asked for permission to use the ideas in Chanel's next line. She offered Caroline half of the profits as well as her name on the designs and Caroline nearly had a fit of excitement right there in the office. She agreed whole heartedly and Damon was impressed with her as always. The designer also asked if Caroline would be interested in coming up with ideas in the future and even offered her a permanent designing role in the company. Caroline's line was going to be called Care by Chanel and Damon was grinning from ear to ear at his beautiful wife as he watched her work her magic. The designer came up with contracts and Caroline signed. She wasn't offered a salary but instead opted for 50% of the profits from anything bought from the line. This was a dream opportunity for Caroline and she practically bounced out of the office and into Damon's car. They agreed that she would come into the office one day per month to share her ideas and sketches. Once in the car, Damon was certain she would explode and he chuckled.

"Let it out." He smirked at her after they started driving and she squealed loudly in glee and he laughed at her. "You have no idea how proud I am of you right now." He said to her with a smile and she beamed at him so brightly that he was nearly blinded by it.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She exclaimed and he laughed.

"Don't thank me. You're the one that landed yourself a job for being super duper awesome at fashion stuff. I only got you the designer; you're the one that did everything else." He pointed out and she grinned.

"I feel like I could just die!" She said and he smirked.

"Well, let's not have you doing that, please." He said to her and she giggled.

"This is like the dream job of dream jobs." She grinned and he took her hand.

"You were so hot in there being all creative and stuff." He smiled proudly. "I can't wait to see the stuff when it's finished." He said and she grinned at him. She felt so lucky to have him and he was being so supportive and he was obviously excited for her.

"I love you more than you'll ever know." She said sincerely and he smiled.

"Even though you're a designer for Chanel and I'm just a drunk bum?" He asked her and she giggled.

"You can be a house husband/dad." She giggled and he smirked.

"It does sound better than husband/dad/drunk bum." He said and she laughed. "Just don't tell the guys that you're calling me that." He said and she smiled.

"It'll be our little secret." She winked and he chuckled.

"I should probably get a job too." He groaned. "You know, set a good example for Vik and all that." He said and she laughed.

"You could always go get that pet psychology degree." She pointed out amused and he laughed loudly. He'd completely forgotten that he'd said that.

"I could, but the animals would get antsy around Stefan." He replied and she laughed.

"Well, what are you good at?" She asked him. "What do you think you'd like to do?"

"I could be a hit man for hire." He shrugged jokingly and she laughed.

"Now that's a great example to set for our son." She smirked and he chuckled.

"I don't know. I guess I could be a grease monkey." He shrugged and she looked confused. "A car mechanic." He explained and her jaw dropped.

"Oh my god! Please do that! You will look so fucking hot covered in oil and in black overalls!" She said and he smirked. Now they were getting somewhere.

"Is that so, Mrs Salvatore?" He asked and she smiled.

"Hell yeah." She nodded.

"Think I should open a little place to fix cars then?" He asked curiously.

"As long as you close up shop when I come in to screw your brains out." She said and he nearly drove off the road causing her to giggle. "Be careful with my car." She smirked and he chuckled.

"Yes, dear." He replied and she giggled.

* * *

><p>They arrived home and the two of them could hardly contain the grins on their faces. They walked in the door hand in hand and found everyone in the living room. Everyone noticed the pure happiness on both of their faces and they were glad that Caroline had that effect on Damon. He didn't even bother saying hello, he was too proud of his wife.<p>

"Guess what? You're looking at a kept man." He smirked and everyone looked confused while Caroline laughed. "My goddess of a wife just landed herself a job as the newest fashion designer for Chanel." He grinned at her proudly and everyone gasped and cheered and hugged her with their congratulations.

"Caroline! That's your dream job!" Bonnie exclaimed and Caroline grinned.

"I know! It's so amazing! I feel like I'm going to fall over or cry or faint or something." She giggled and Damon smirked at her.

"Does this mean you get discounts?" Seth asked her and Damon chuckled.

"She gets anything from her own line free and 50% discount from the other lines." Damon said.

"That's amazing!" Zara exclaimed as she grinned at Caroline.

"I'm so proud of you!" Stefan smiled at her and Damon felt like he was going to burst with joy as Caroline looked so happy.

"What's the line called?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Care by Chanel." She smiled and Damon was so proud of her.

"You do know what this means, right?" Damon asked her and she looked confused. "Fashion week in Paris, New York and Milan." He replied and her face lit up.

"Oh my god! I've always wanted to go to them!" She exclaimed then jumped up on him and kissed all over his face. "Thank you, thank you!" She said and he chuckled.

"I didn't do anything, it was all you." Damon replied. "If I'd known how happy it would make you, I would have compelled you this job last year." He smirked. "Though, it's better than you got it by yourself." He pointed out and she beamed at him.

"It'll be even better when I come visit you on your lunch hour." She winked and he chuckled.

"Lunch hour?" Stefan asked confused. "Damon and job don't really go together." He pointed out and Caroline grinned.

"Damon's going to open up a car shop and be a grease monkey." She wiggled her eyebrows to show that she liked that idea _very much_ and Damon laughed at her antics.

"You're silly." Damon said to her while he laughed and she winked.

"Maybe." She nodded. "But you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to the first time I see you roll out from under a car." She said then actually shuddered at the thought causing everyone in the room to laugh loudly.

"I'll find somewhere to buy tomorrow." He winked at her and she grinned.

"Where's Viktor going to be when you two are getting greased up in a car shop?" Stefan asked amused and Damon shrugged.

"He'll have his Auntie Stefan to babysit him." Damon smirked and Stefan rolled his eyes. He totally walked into that one.

"What made you decide on a car shop?" Ric asked curiously and Damon shrugged.

"It's one of the few things I like to do besides killing people." Damon shrugged and they all rolled their eyes and laughed. "I suggested becoming a hired hit man but Barbie said that's not a good role model for Vik." Damon said seriously and they laughed.

"You think?" Bonnie asked in disbelief and he shrugged.

"Easy money." Damon replied and Caroline giggled.

"You should definitely be a mechanic." Caroline grinned and everyone found it so amusing that she was clearly so turned on by the idea.

"It's a good idea anyway because there aren't any real classic car workshops in the Amsterdam area." He nodded.

"Sounds fun. Can I work there?" Ric asked and Damon smirked. He'd already thought of that but wouldn't let Ric know that.

"Hand me a CV and I'll look over your application." He said as seriously as he could muster and Ric laughed and rolled his eyes. "What? Favouritism in the workplace is never a good idea." Damon pointed out comically and everyone laughed. "What qualifies you anyway?" Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Is this my interview?" Ric asked amused and Damon chuckled.

"This is the interview to see if you get an interview." Damon replied and Ric laughed.

"Ass." He said and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Do you think it bodes well to call the boss an ass?" Damon asked and Caroline elbowed him playfully.

"Ric, he already said in the car that he was going to ask you to work there so just ignore him." Caroline said and everyone laughed except Damon who huffed.

"Barbie, you're not supposed to tell him that." Damon pointed out and Ric chuckled.

"You were giving him the third degree." She defended and he smirked.

"That's what happens at interviews." Damon replied and she laughed loudly.

"Have you ever even been to an interview?" She asked and everyone laughed.

"Uh..." Damon said as he thought it over. Had he ever been to an interview? Everyone laughed at his puzzled expression. "I've seen them in movies." Damon replied and she giggled.

"Shut up, Damon." She laughed then kissed him. "Maybe you should consider the hit man job. Seems less stressful." She giggled and everyone laughed.

* * *

><p>Everyone was over at Klaus' house except Damon and Caroline. They were curled up on their couch watching Supernatural under a blanket when Caroline remembered.<p>

"So, how about that picture?" She smirked and he rolled his eyes.

"Why does this matter so much?" Damon asked confused and she sighed and turned to look at him.

"Damon, I want to know everything about you. Good and bad. I personally think you would look nice with curly hair." She pointed out and he sighed.

"Fine, but if you laugh I'll be pissed." He said to her and she nodded. He went down to the vault and looked over the pictures to find the most presentable one until he realised none of them were presentable but figured Stefan looked worse so he decided just to show them all to her. He brought up the envelope and handed it over to her reluctantly as he sat back down. She took out the photos and the first one was a picture of Stefan, Damon and their mother when they were little.

"You were the cutest little boy." She grinned. "Stefan definitely got better with age." She pointed out and Damon laughed loudly. "I hope Viktor looks like you." She said softly and he smiled. She put that picture to the back to see the next one and Damon cringed at himself dressed in his military uniform and hat. Caroline could only see a little of his hair sticking out but it was so weird to see him dressed like that. "How old were you here?" She asked curiously and he shrugged.

"Nineteen." He replied and she nodded. He didn't look that different except his face was a little younger looking and his eyes were soft. He hadn't seen or done all those terrible things in this picture and it showed. He was still innocent there. It actually made her heart break for him. She put that one to the back and the next picture was one of him and Stefan in suits standing next to an older man that looked a lot like Stefan. She saw his hair clearly in that picture and she was utterly shocked by it. Damon was frozen as he awaited her reaction and she turned to look at him confused. "What?" He asked cautiously and she shook her head.

"Why would you ever straighten your hair?" She asked in disbelief and his jaw dropped.

"What did you say?" He asked.

"You looked so unbelievably beautiful with curly hair." She said to him sincerely and he chuckled.

"You're mocking me." He said and she grabbed his hand and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm not." She said honestly and he was startled.

"You actually like that?" He asked shocked.

"I love it." She nodded. "Why don't you like it?" She asked and he shrugged.

"I think it makes me look like a girly boy." He replied and she giggled.

"I don't think you could ever look like a girly boy." She replied and he smirked then kissed her. She always surprised him and he just adored her beyond belief. "Who is that?" She asked pointing to the man in the picture.

"My father." Damon replied and she nodded.

"I really hate that guy." She sighed and Damon smiled at her. He found it endearing that she was so protective of him.

"You and me both, honey." He winked and she giggled. She turned to the next picture and was surprised that it was a photo of Damon and a woman with long wavy light-ish hair. She was beautiful in a kind of strange way. She had these eyes that you felt like you could get lost in. "That's Maggie." Damon said quietly.

"I feel like I could look at her eyes forever." Caroline said and Damon chuckled.

"Yeah, they were kind of like that." He smiled. He'd been worried about her reaction to Maggie.

"She's really beautiful, Damon." Caroline smiled softly at the picture. It was such a tragedy what happened to her.

"She was a nice girl. She would have loved you." Damon replied.

"I'm sure I would have loved her too." Caroline nodded.

"You know, if you'd been around back then, I never would have married her." Damon said honestly.

"Can I say something that might be out of line?" She asked hesitantly and Damon nodded. "From what you've told me, all she wanted was to be a mother right?" She asked.

"Yes." Damon replied sadly.

"Well, she didn't know that Dino would die when she did, right?" She asked and Damon shook his head. "So she got her wish." Caroline said and Damon blinked with the emotion that filled him then and his eyes watered and he grabbed her and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you." He said to her shakily as the tears streamed down his face. He'd always felt unbelievable guilt at the fact Maggie had died without ever being able to hold her son, but now he could see that she died knowing that her son would be born. She died without knowing that he died with her.

Caroline, the love of his life, just healed his heart.


	23. Return to the Island

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 23

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><p>The gang had just arrived in Turks and Caicos and they were at the airport about to get into taxis to take them to their hotels.<p>

"Okay, so under no circumstances except a life or death emergency are any of you to come find us, is that clear?" Damon barked and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, Damon." She said to him.

"I'm serious, dragging them all here was your idea but you swore that we wouldn't see them." Damon pointed out and the rest of them laughed.

"But Caroline promised to show us the shark." Stefan said knowing it would annoy Damon. Damon hissed loudly in annoyance.

"You did what?" He asked her in disbelief and she giggled.

"Babe, we're on a tropical island. Chill out." She grinned and he rolled his eyes and got in the taxi causing them all to laugh. "Just give us a day or two." Caroline said then jumped in behind him and waved to them all while Damon ignored them which only amused them further.

"We'll never get rid of them now." Damon muttered and she giggled.

"Let's go to our beach beds and flip the coin." She grinned at him and he couldn't help the smile that creeped out on his face.

"Fine." He said though she could tell he was looking forward to the idea.

* * *

><p>Damon got them a villa in the same resort right next door to the one they'd stayed at the last time they were there. It was so strange to be back here considering the last time they hadn't even been together. They got changed quickly and went down to the beach and Caroline was thrilled that their beach beds were empty. They took their places and Caroline giggled.<p>

"This is like déjà vu." She smiled and he smirked at her.

"Except this time I can actually tell you that I love you and want to bone you." He said and she laughed.

"I still have the text message you sent me." She said and he blinked in surprise.

"Why?" He asked and she smiled.

"Because I was in love with you and you just admitted that I made you happy. It was a big deal for me." She said softly.

"You were in love with me here?" He asked surprised. They'd never talked about it before.

"You want to know the moments I knew I was in love with you?" She asked and he nodded. "The first time was when you told me that you were getting the same tattoo. But it was confirmed when you showed me it in the villa then told me you were taking me to the limbo party anyway." She smiled and he chuckled.

"Fair enough. I have to tell you something." He said nervously.

"You can tell me anything." She said honestly.

"That night that the demon attacked you... I was ignoring your calls." He said and she looked surprised.

"Why?" She asked confused.

"Because I was really jealous." He replied and she was shocked. "When we were in the club, I just watched you all night. You were dancing and I thought you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen and you started kissing that guy and it pissed me off and I realised I was jealous." He said honestly. "Then you scanned the crowd looking for me and when you found me your whole face lit up and I swear to god it was the first time in over a century and a half that I actually got butterflies in my stomach." He said and her eyes watered.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked and he shrugged.

"I was actually going to until you came over and told me you were leaving with the guy." Damon admitted.

"Then what happened?" She asked as she never found out where he was when she called.

"You left and I drank a bottle of whiskey in one big gulp then left with the first girl that talked to me. I didn't even look at her. I was so angry at you." Damon said and she took his hand. "I've regretted that since as you got hurt because I was being juvenile about it." He said solemnly and she smiled at him.

"That wasn't your fault, Damon." She replied softly. "It was my fault for ignoring my instincts." She said.

"Well, this time you're centuries stronger. You'd be able to take out one demon without batting an eyelid." He said and she nodded. She was surprised at how much it still hurt him that she'd gotten hurt by the demon. She figured he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"I can take out all sorts of demons with the training we got, yet I have no idea how to do something as simple as snapping a neck." She smirked and he chuckled.

"Well in case you are wondering, you just hold either side of their head and turn it quickly to the side." He said as he demonstrated with his hands. "It's the most effective, quick and painless way to kill someone." He explained.

"I'll make sure to remember that." She said amused and he chuckled.

"You should call Ferdinand." Damon said and she grinned.

"I'm surprised you would let me." She pointed out and he smirked.

"You're the Queen. You can control him so I'm not worried." Damon shrugged.

"Let's see if it works then." She grinned. She closed her eyes and pictured him in her mind and called him to her. She'd read texts on the Queen and was confident in her ability. She hadn't had much practice though with everything else that had been going on.

"It might take a little while since he could be miles away from here." Damon pointed out and she nodded.

"Well is there anything else you want to do here while we wait for him?" She asked and he smirked.

"I actually want to go back to the tattoo place." He replied and she looked surprised.

"To get what?" She asked curiously.

"It's a surprise." He smirked and she giggled.

"Well, let's go then." She grinned.

* * *

><p>They went to the tattoo parlour after pulling on some clothes. Damon told the artist what he wanted then let Caroline come in as otherwise she would hear what he was getting. She looked through the designs while he was in the back room getting tattooed. She wanted something too then had a great idea. Damon came out about an hour later and grinned at her. She told him that she was getting something too and he was surprised. She told him to go to the beach and wait for her there as she didn't want him to hear what she was getting and he reluctantly agreed since he'd done the same with her but since his hearing was better, he'd have to be further away. Caroline explained her design to the artist and he drew it up for her. It was a big tattoo and with all the details it took well over an hour to complete. She got it in the middle of her back and it was eight inches tall and ten inches wide – a big tattoo. When she was finished and she walked out of the room, Damon was waiting for her.<p>

"I thought you were going to wait at the beach." She said confused and he chuckled.

"I was worried – you've been in there for like two hours." He pointed out and she smirked.

"You'll see why soon enough." She grinned and he smirked. He thought the tattoos were hot on her. They paid the tattoo artist then went back to the beach.

"Where did you get yours?" He asked and she smiled.

"On my back, what about you?" She asked.

"My chest." Damon replied.

"Who goes first?" She asked mischievously and he chuckled

"I'll go first." He said then took his shirt off and her jaw dropped. On his chest was a grey shaded tattoo of a real heart over his own and there was a ribbon banner attached to it that read 'Caroline' on the top and 'Mia Regina. Mio Cuore.' _(My Queen. My heart.)_ Caroline sniffed lightly as the tears came to her eyes and fell down her cheeks.

"It's beautiful." She said and he smiled. He was glad she liked it.

"Now let's see this tattoo that took so long." He smirked and she nodded. She was wearing her bikini top underneath her top so she pulled her top off then turned herself around in the beach bed so he could see it. He gasped at the sheer size of it as it took up the whole middle area of her back then he studied it closely. There was a large black crow with spread wings on the right side and he was facing left and on the left side was a blue, white and red hummingbird with spread wings facing the crow. The crow had a shoot of pink flowers in one of its claws and underneath read 'insieme per sempre' _(together forever)_ and just below that was their wedding date in roman numerals. He felt himself get emotional as she'd put so much thought into it. He was the black crow and she was the beautiful colourful hummingbird, yet they fit together perfectly. Caroline had put in the pink flowers because whenever he brought her flowers they were always pink.

"You're very quiet." She said as she turned back around to face him then saw the reason as a tear was running down his cheek.

"It's us." He said in a whisper and she grinned.

"Exactly." She nodded with a small smile. "Don't you think it's funny that we both got something to do with the other?" She asked.

"I think we just know each other well." Damon smiled.

"I think it's because we're soul mates." She replied and he smirked.

"I knew that already, Barbie." He said and she giggled. Damon glanced out at the water and saw the fin and chuckled. "You have a visitor." He said and she snapped her head to the water and grinned.

"He came." She smiled.

"Let's go say hi." He said and she took off her skirt and shoes while Damon took his shoes off then they ran into the water together. The two of them swam out to Ferdinand and Caroline grinned when she approached him.

_Try talking to him._ Damon suggested to her telepathically. He kept his distance a little as he didn't want the shark to think he was a threat to Caroline.

_You came._ Caroline said to Ferdinand.

_You called for me, my Queen. Of course I came._ She heard him reply and Damon saw the smile on her face widen.

_Thank you for saving my life the last time I was here._ She said to him.

_It is my duty to protect my Queen but if you remember, you saved my life first._ He said to her and she smiled.

_I couldn't let you die._ She replied softly.

_Thank you._ He said to her.

_Anytime._ She smiled. _What's your name?_ She asked him curiously.

_You call me Ferdinand, do you not?_ He asked her and she grinned.

_Yes, but don't you already have a name?_ She asked him.

_It is an honour that you would name me so I will gladly keep that name._ He replied.

_Alright._ She nodded. _My name is Caroline._ She said to him.

_That is a beautiful name, my Queen._ He said to her.

_Thank you. This is my husband, Damon._ She pointed to Damon.

_Is he your mate?_ Ferdinand asked. She understood that sharks probably didn't have husbands so she went with his term.

_Yes, he's my mate for life._ She replied.

_It is an honour to meet the Prince._ He said and Caroline looked surprised.

_The Prince?_ She asked confused.

_It is foretold that he who captures the Queen's heart will be the most powerful Prince of the Night the world has ever known._ He explained and that made sense as Damon was the most lethal creature on the planet.

_So if I were to introduce him as the Prince, others would know who he was?_ She asked.

_Yes, but you must be careful my Queen as many would seek to harm you because of who you are. If you ever need me or wish to see me for any reason, all you have to do is call and I will find you._ He said and she swam forward and stroked his back.

_Thank you so much, Ferdinand. Are you able to call to me?_ She asked.

_Yes, my Queen, why do you ask?_

_If you ever need me, I will find you too. You can call me if you need my help or you are injured as I can heal you._ She replied.

_Thank you, my Queen. That is an honour. Will you be staying on this land?_ He asked and it was obvious that he was fond of her.

_We will be here for seven days._ She replied.

_You cannot stay?_ He asked her.

_My son will be born soon so I have to go back to my home._ She replied.

_You will have offspring?_ He asked surprised.

_Yes, why?_ She asked curiously.

_I can only imagine that offspring of the Queen and the Prince will be special like both of you._

_Thank you, Ferdinand. That is very kind of you to say. Will you be around these parts for a while?_ She asked as she was enjoying talking to him.

_I will stay until you leave._ He said and she smiled.

_Then I will come and see you again tonight after dark. Would you be willing to meet some of my family at some point while I'm here?_

_I will gladly meet your family._ He replied.

_That's great._ She replied happily. _Well I'll see you tonight. Have a nice day._ She smiled.

_And you my Queen._ He said then she watched in awe as he closed his eyes and bowed his head then moved towards Damon and did the same thing then swam away. Caroline took Damon's hand as they swam back to shore together.

"Did he just bow his head to me?" Damon asked confused when they came out of the water.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Why?" He asked confused.

"He explained a few things to me about being Queen." She said and Damon looked intrigued. "Apparently it was foretold that my mate would be the most powerful Prince of the Night the world has ever known." She said and Damon looked shocked.

"Prince?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"Yep. You're Prince Damon to all the animals now." She smirked and he chuckled.

"Please don't tell Klaus that." Damon groaned and she giggled.

"Why? Because he'll start calling you 'majesty' instead of you calling him that?" She laughed.

"I'm going to be tortured for this." Damon shook his head and she smirked.

"Looks like you got upgraded from jester." She said and he laughed. "We're like a power couple." She giggled and he smirked.

"My father would be so proud that I married a queen." He chuckled.

"Prince Stallion." She smirked and he laughed.

"Queen Barbie." He countered and she giggled.

"Our kids will be royals too." She said and he looked surprised.

"You told the shark?" He asked curiously and she nodded.

"He was surprised but said that our 'offspring' would be special like us." She said.

"I'm guessing since we're vampires it's not supposed to be possible." Damon conceded.

"Prince Viktor." She giggled.

"You know there's something I've been wondering since I became a hybrid." Damon said. "Klaus said that you will be able to control werewolves and I wondered if you would be able to control me in wolf form." He said and she looked surprised.

"I'm guessing you won't like that." She smirked and he shrugged.

"I can compel you... It's probably only fair if there's some kind of balance, even if I don't like it." Damon said.

"Nicky said that it could take years before I'm able to actually control anything supernatural." She said.

"He said that when you were a baby vampire. You have the strength of an Original now. That must have enhanced your powers." He pointed out.

"Possibly." She shrugged. "Anyway, no more Queen and Prince stuff today." She said. "Let's do our bet." She grinned and he smirked at her.

"Get the coin then, Queenie." He said and she giggled and pulled out the coin. "Terms?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"If I win..." Caroline said as she thought about it then grinned. "You have to come with me and get a spray tan." She said and he chuckled.

"How did I know you were going to say that?" He asked. "If I win you have to sunbathe topless." He said and she laughed.

"That's our first bet all over again." She grinned and he chuckled.

"I know." He replied.

"You see me naked every day, why would you waste a bet on that?" She asked him and he smirked.

"I thought it would be funny. And, I'd happily just look at you naked all day." He shrugged. "Fine, I'll think of something else." He said then thought about it. "If I win, we don't see any of the others at all today." He said and she giggled.

"Call." She said.

"Heads." He said and she flipped it then giggled. "Spray tan number two." He groaned. "I'm never going to live this down." He said and she smiled.

"Just think of how hot you'll look all tanned." She grinned and he smirked.

"Fine, Mrs Salvatore, let's go." He said.

* * *

><p>They got their tans then went back to the bar like last time and the same waitress came up to them.<p>

"Mr Salvatore and your fiancé. Nice to see you again." She smiled and Damon chuckled at how far they'd come.

"We're actually married now." He smiled.

"Congratulations!" She grinned at them.

"Thanks." Caroline smiled.

"A strawberry daiquiri and a large bourbon, neat, right?" She asked and Caroline looked surprised and Damon just chuckled.

"Yes, please." Caroline nodded then the waitress left and she looked at Damon.

"You compelled her to only remember our drink orders." He said and she giggled at the memory.

"I forgot about that." She smiled.

"I still can't believe you told her I couldn't get it up." Damon said and she laughed loudly.

"I'll never forget the face you made when I said that." She giggled.

"I don't think I've ever been so shocked as I was in that moment." He smirked.

"Why?" She asked.

"Just that you had the balls to say that. At the time, I couldn't decide whether to kill you or jump you." He chuckled. "So I just sat there." He laughed.

"Everything changed when you kissed me on the plane." She said with a smile. "If you hadn't kissed me on the plane, we wouldn't be here right now." She said and he smirked.

"Yes, we would. I was planning on making my move on the cruise." He chuckled and she smiled.

"Really? What were you going to do?" She asked curiously.

"Well, the plan was to woo you and get you to fall in love with me." Damon replied and she smiled.

"I was already in love with you." She pointed out.

"Well, I didn't know that at the time." He smirked.

"I want to hear this detailed wooing plan." She grinned and he chuckled.

"I didn't have a detailed plan." He lied and she cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't believe you." She said and he smirked. She knew him so well.

"It's embarrassing." He said and she smiled kindly at him.

"You never need to feel embarrassed with me, babe." She replied and he chuckled. He still was so amused by her calling him 'babe'.

"The plan was to show you that I'm not always the monster. I was going to take you out to dinners and dancing and everything that just screamed 'date' until you gave in." He smirked and she giggled.

"On the plane when you suggested you could help me out with a certain itch..." She giggled and he smirked. "Was that all you wanted at that point?" She asked.

"Yes, but not for the reason you might think. I know I'm skilled in that area." He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed.

"Jackass." She said and he leaned forward and kissed her.

"So, I thought if I gave you mind blowing sex on top of taking you on all these 'we're not saying it's a date but it totally is' evenings that you would be mine." He said and she giggled.

"But instead you were pissed at me all day then asked me to marry you." She grinned and he chuckled.

"Not my finest hour." He shrugged.

"I think it worked out." She grinned and he chuckled.

"Apart from the fact you have the power to make me get spray tans." He pointed out and she laughed.

"I had that power before we were even aware of our feelings." She countered and he chuckled.

"True." He conceded and the waitress brought over their drinks. "By the way, have you heard from Lockwood?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah, why?" She asked and he shrugged.

"He's in New York by himself; someone should be keeping track of him to make sure he's not massacring the civilians." He smirked.

"He's fine." Caroline nodded. "He just started college. He enrolled for the January semester." She replied. "Do you like him now or something?" She asked amused and he chuckled.

"Of course not." Damon replied. "I just don't exactly despise him anymore." Damon said and she laughed.

"He's a nice guy. If things were different, you two probably could have been friends." She said.

"I'm sure he's a perfectly nice guy but he's too stupid for me to be friends with him." Damon replied. "I can't deal with dumb people." He smirked. "Besides, he still thinks I want to kill him." Damon chuckled.

"I told him you don't." She said and he shrugged.

"You know his mother tried to seduce me again at Liz's wedding." Damon chuckled and Caroline's jaw dropped.

"Even though she knew you were married to me?" She asked in disbelief.

"Well she was married last time." He smirked and she looked shocked.

"She cheated on the mayor?" She asked and Damon nodded.

"I doubt I was the first one." Damon replied.

"Why did you sleep with her?" Caroline asked curiously and Damon shrugged.

"Back then I was trying to cause trouble." He smirked. "She won me at the bachelor auction because she rigged it." Damon chuckled and Caroline gasped.

"No way!" She said.

"I thought it would be funny to sleep with the Mayor's wife." He smirked. "I was bored and drunk and there was nobody else around so I thought what the hell." He shrugged.

"It's weird that you've slept with Carol and I've..." She trailed off.

"Slept with Lockwood?" He asked and her eyes widened. "Did you forget that you told me that when we were together the first time?" He asked.

"I did forget that." She nodded.

"You told me that he lost his virginity to you." Damon said and she nodded.

"Isn't this weird for you?" She asked and he shook his head no.

"I can't exactly comment considering I slept with way more people in Mystic Falls than I care to admit." He winced.

"Really?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Who?" She asked.

"Teachers, students, people's mothers..." Damon trailed off and she rolled her eyes.

"Damon... don't you miss it?" She asked and he looked confused.

"Miss what?" He asked.

"Sleeping with different women?" She asked and he laughed.

"Not at all." He replied surprising her.

"How is that possible?" She asked curiously and he shrugged.

"I whored myself around so much before we got married that I know for a fact I'm not missing anything." He replied.

"Really?" She asked and he nodded.

"Believe me, the grass isn't greener." He said and she giggled. "But that's me. Don't you feel like you're missing out? You got into a marriage at eighteen years old." He pointed out. "I got into it at 168. That's quite a difference."

"Well, there are a couple of things I would have liked to have done but it's not a big deal." She shrugged.

"Like what?" He cocked his head to the side.

"Well, I was never really that adventurous and I always wondered about some things." She replied and he smirked.

"You totally wanted to have a threesome." Damon said and her eyes widened.

"How did you know?" She asked and he chuckled.

"Because it's the holy grail." He replied.

"What do you mean?" She asked and he smirked.

"That's how my number is so high. I had multiples a lot." He replied and she giggled.

"So they're fun?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yes." He said. "Very fun."

"Would you want to do it with me?" She asked and he shrugged.

"If you want to." He said. "But since I've been there and done that, it would be better with another guy as you would be the focus." He said.

"You'd be okay with that?" She asked in disbelief and he chuckled.

"Not all of the people I slept with were women." He replied and her jaw nearly hit the table.

"That is so hot." She said and he laughed.

"You're a little deviant." He smirked and she giggled.

"Are you bi?" She asked curiously and he laughed.

"No. Stefan says I'm just a slut." Damon replied and she laughed loudly.

"You would really be into that idea?" She asked and he nodded.

"I'm secure in our relationship so I wouldn't be jealous if that's what you're worried about." Damon said.

"Would you... uh... you know..." She said and he laughed.

"Be involved with him?" Damon asked amused at her going all shy and she nodded. "If you want." He shrugged and she giggled nervously.

"Is it terrible that I think that would be really hot?" She asked and he laughed.

"Is it terrible that I think that would be really hot?" Damon asked and she laughed.

"You are a slut." She giggled and he shrugged.

"Live long enough and it happens." Damon replied. "Stefan sleeps with guys about as much as he sleeps with girls." Damon pointed out and Caroline looked stunned.

"Really?" She asked in disbelief.

"Mmhmm." Damon nodded. "He's still sleeping with Jeff." Damon smirked and Caroline giggled.

"How do you know all of this?" She asked and he smirked.

"Everyone forgets that my hearing is way beyond a regular vampire's hearing. Stefan sneaks off into the woods every once in a while for a late night rendezvous with him." Damon chuckled.

"Are they seeing each other?" She asked fascinated and Damon laughed at her wanting all the gossip.

"I don't know." Damon replied. "But this has been going on for months so it's possible." He nodded.

"Has he ever dated a guy before?" She asked and Damon nodded.

"He had a boyfriend for five years in the nineties." Damon replied and Caroline's jaw dropped again.

"Oh my god! Seriously?" She asked and Damon chuckled.

"His name was Monroe." Damon replied.

"Why did they break up?" She asked and Damon smirked.

"I slept with him." Damon said and Caroline gasped.

"I can't believe you did that." She said.

"We hated each other then." Damon pointed out. "I would do things to piss him off and he would do things to piss me off." Damon shrugged. "I had a human girlfriend in 1974 and Stefan killed her." Damon replied casually and her eyes widened.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed.

"That's why I slept with Monroe. Stefan was head over heels in love with him so I knew that would piss him off." Damon replied.

"Were you head over heels in love with the girl he killed?" She asked.

"Well, no. I still had my emotions switched off. Not completely but like 90% so I did have feelings for her but I didn't love her. I was getting there though." Damon admitted.

"How long were you together?" She asked curiously.

"Two years." Damon replied. "But I only saw her a couple of days a week. It wasn't like it was all that serious anyway. I wasn't exactly what one would call faithful." He replied and she looked surprised.

"You cheated on her?" She asked and he nodded.

"I only saw Gabriella at the weekends so the rest of the week I partied." He admitted.

"Why did you only see her at the weekends?" She asked and he shrugged.

"She managed a hotel in the countryside and lived there all week and came back to the city at the weekends. I was living in Hungary at the time." He explained.

"You've never told me about girlfriends after Katherine and before me. Were there others?" She asked.

"I've had a few over the years, but they always ended badly so after the last one, Sienna, I gave up and just focused on Katherine." He shrugged.

"What do you mean 'ended badly'?" She asked.

"Well, Stefan killed four of them, three of them wanted nothing to do with me when they found out the truth, I killed one of them and I was with Sienna for four years when one day she decided she wanted a normal life and kids so we finished things." Damon replied.

"How could she one day just change her mind like that?" She asked confused.

"Stefan compelled her." Damon replied and Caroline's jaw dropped. "That's why I killed Lexi." Damon said.

"To get back at him?" She asked.

"Sienna was the closest person I got to and I was ready to let myself fall for her and Stefan swooped in and ruined it. I've never been one to get back at people. I've always been of the opinion that revenge is better when its way worse than what was done to you." He shrugged. "At the time I saw it as, the girl that was going to get me over Katherine was taken away from me by Stefan so I took away his best friend, the girl who got him over his blood addiction." Damon explained.

"Do you regret it?" She asked softly.

"Killing Lexi?" Damon asked and she nodded. "I regret killing my brother's best friend but I don't regret killing Lexi because I couldn't stand her." Damon replied.

"Stefan says I remind him of Lexi." She said and Damon laughed loudly.

"What a crock of shit!" Damon exclaimed. "You're nothing like that bitch." Damon said. "She was the type that always knew everything and thought she was superior to everyone. You're not remotely like that." He said.

"Stefan liked her." Caroline pointed out and Damon chuckled.

"If you haven't noticed my brother is a bit like that too." Damon pointed out.

"What else do you know about Stefan and Jeff?" She asked curiously and Damon chuckled.

"Just that he doesn't want anyone to know about it which leads me to believe they aren't seeing each other. Stefan doesn't care if people know he's not entirely straight so it makes me think they are just sleeping together as Stefan would be fine going out with another guy." Damon shrugged. "Though, you probably shouldn't ask him about Monroe because he gets really mad about it." Damon smirked.

"Do you think they would still be together if that hadn't happened?" She asked curiously.

"Without a doubt." Damon nodded.

"So you think that he's the love of Stefan's life?" She asked.

"Probably." Damon nodded.

"Why don't we try to find him then?" Caroline grinned and Damon chuckled.

"Don't you think that would be kind of awkward?" Damon smirked and she rolled her eyes.

"When did this even happen?" She asked.

"1993." Damon replied.

"That's nearly 20 years ago. How would it be weird?" She asked. "Wait is he human? Coz he'd be an old man now." She replied and Damon laughed.

"No, he's not but even if he was Stefan wouldn't care if he looked like a grandfather, it's still Monroe." Damon pointed out.

"Aww, that's so sweet." She smiled. "We should definitely find him." She grinned.

"I still don't think that's a good idea." Damon pointed out.

"Why did he cheat on Stefan anyway?" She asked and was surprised when Damon looked a little guilty.

"I may have convinced him that Stefan did it first." He replied and she gasped.

"Does Stefan know that?" She asked.

"Uh... No." He replied.

"We definitely need to find this guy." She said.

* * *

><p>After Damon fell asleep, Caroline snuck out of the villa and went over to Klaus' hotel. She found the room without any trouble and knocked. He opened the door cautiously but grinned widely at the sight of her.<p>

"Darling." He said and hugged her.

"Was I interrupting?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Zara and I were just getting ready for bed. What brings you by?" He smiled.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you about something in private." She said quietly and he nodded. He went in and told Zara he would be right back and the two of them went down to the hotel bar.

"So what's up, my dear?" He asked her curiously.

"Do you have any way of finding vampires?" She asked.

"For what?" He asked surprised.

"If I tell you, you have to promise not to say anything." She said and he nodded. "I want to find a vampire that Stefan was once in love with. Damon thinks that the vampire was Stefan's great love and they broke up over a misunderstanding. I want to find him and surprise Stefan." She grinned and he chuckled.

"I can call a few vampires and put an alert out for you." He nodded.

"Would you?" She asked happily and he was never one to deny Caroline anything she wanted.

"Yes." He nodded. "I'll make the calls now. What's his name?" He asked.

"Brad Monroe." She replied and Klaus got his phone out and called three vampires for information. "They'll get back to me in a couple of days at the most if they can find anything." Klaus said.

"Nicky, you're the best!" She grinned and hugged him.

"Does Damon know you're here?" Klaus asked and she giggled.

"No, he's asleep. Don't mention finding Monroe to him, okay?" She asked and he nodded.

"Did you have a nice first day here?" Klaus asked.

"I called Ferdinand." She grinned and he smiled at her.

"He came?" He asked and she nodded.

"We spoke to each other for a while. It was amazing. I asked if he would meet my family and he said he'd be honoured so anytime you want to come meet him, let me know." She grinned.

"I will." Klaus nodded. "Now you better get back to your villa before Damon wakes up without you there. He'll freak out thinking something happened to you." Klaus warned.

"I know." She giggled then hugged him and they said their goodbyes.

* * *

><p>The next two days they spent relaxing and they didn't see anyone else but each other. The rest of the group were on the other side of the island enjoying the beaches and shopping and nightlife. On the fourth day, Klaus called to Caroline telepathically. She and Damon were sitting on the beach next to each other chatting when she heard him.<p>

_Darling?_ Klaus asked and she tried not to let Damon see her surprise.

_Did you find him?_ She asked excitedly.

_Yes._ Klaus replied. _He's in Rio de Janeiro. According to a vampire I know, he'll be there for the next month._

_This is great! I'll take a little detour there and find him. Thanks, Nicky!_

_You're welcome darling. I have his address._

_That's great! I'll see you tonight!_ She exclaimed as Damon had reluctantly agreed to go to dinner with them all.

"What are you so happy about?" Damon asked her amused.

"I was just thinking about travelling and somewhere I've always wanted to go." She shrugged. "But its fine, I can go there anytime." She said absently in the hope he would want to take her.

"Where?" He asked curiously.

"Rio." She replied and he smirked.

"Why don't we go to Rio for a couple of days before we head to the rainforest then? Rio's great, I think you'd love it." He said to her and she grinned.

"Really?" She asked and he chuckled.

"I told you before, whatever you want. You just have to tell me." Damon replied and she leaned over the table and kissed him.

"This is going to be fun." She grinned.

* * *

><p><strong>The tattoo ideas are on my profile. I googled imaged them so no copyright infringement is intended! I just loved them!<strong>

**Imagine the hummingbird facing the other way without the flower and in the crow picture the butterfly is replaced with the hummingbird and the flowers are pink.**

**The heart is there too.**


	24. Broken Trust

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 24

* * *

><p>Caroline and Damon made their way to the restaurant they were meeting everyone in for dinner. Caroline wanted a girl's night out on the island so after dinner, she was going clubbing with Zara and Bonnie and the boys were going to hang out together. They got to the restaurant and went to the table where everyone else was already seated. They looked up and started laughing.<p>

"You got another spray tan?" Stefan laughed and Damon rolled his eyes.

"What do you mean 'another'?" Klaus asked amused.

"He lost a bet." Caroline shrugged as she sat down and Damon sat next to her.

"I hope you all die." Damon said and they burst out laughing again. He shot Caroline a look that said 'I hope you're happy now' and she kissed him.

"Stop being a grump." She said and he sighed.

"Whatever." He said.

"You haven't seen us in four days, didn't you miss us?" Seth smirked.

"No." Damon replied and they laughed.

"What has everyone been doing?" Caroline smiled ignoring Damon and he just motioned for the bartender and ordered a bottle of whiskey.

"Sunbathing." Zara smiled.

"I can see that." Caroline grinned. "Well, on you anyway." She giggled.

"Stef and I went windsurfing and it was awesome." Seth grinned and Damon chuckled.

"Just watch out for Ferdinand." Damon smirked and Caroline elbowed him.

"There's so much to do here." Bonnie grinned. "I can see why you wanted to come back here." She said. "What have you two been doing, besides each other?" She winked and Damon chuckled.

"Swimming, bets, hanging out with Ferdinand, getting tattoos and drinking." Caroline smiled. "It's been fun." She nodded.

"Tattoos?" Bonnie asked surprised. "Let me see." She said. Caroline was wearing a backless dress to show hers off so she stood up and turned around and everyone gasped.

"That's huge!" Stefan exclaimed.

"Very well done, though." Klaus replied.

"What does it say?" Bonnie asked as Caroline sat back down.

"Together forever." Stefan smiled.

"That's so sweet." Zara said and Damon chuckled.

"What did you get?" Ric asked.

"Is this show and tell?" Damon asked.

"Damon." Caroline said annoyed. "You might as well show them, they'll see it anyway at some point."

"Let them see it then at some point." He shrugged.

"Damon." She huffed and he rolled his eyes and unbuttoned his shirt so they could see.

"Why do you bother arguing with her when you just do what she says anyway?" Bonnie asked amused.

"I have to at least attempt to put up a fight." He smirked and they laughed then he held his shirt open for a second then closed it again. "There, you saw it. Move on." He said.

"I like that." Stefan grinned. "You should add colour to it." He suggested and Damon shrugged.

"We'll see." He said.

"I've always wanted to get a tattoo." Ric chuckled. "But I never had the balls to do it."

"What would you get?" Damon asked curiously.

"I don't know, actually. I have a few ideas, though." He said.

"It doesn't hurt when you're a vampire." Caroline smiled.

"It's not pain I'm worried about. I just don't want to get stuck with something and have to have it forever. I doubt tattoo removal works on us." Ric smirked and Damon chuckled.

"That's why you have to get something that you'll always like." He pointed out.

* * *

><p>They had dinner then the boys went to a bar and the girls went to a club. Damon had it in his head that he was going to just have a couple of drinks and call it a night. He drank with them all the time; he didn't really want to see them on his vacation. They stood around a high bar table and Ric and Stefan were checking out girls.<p>

"Look at that blonde." Ric said quietly and everyone but Damon looked. There was only one blonde for him and she was currently a red head.

"She is very pretty." Klaus nodded.

"She's coming over." Stefan whispered and they all just continued talking. Damon was standing in his black Dickies shorts and black short sleeve button up shirt and the blonde came over to the table and smiled at him.

"Hey." She said to him and he turned to look at her while the rest of the guys looked at Damon in disbelief. Damon hadn't even checked her out!

"Evening." He nodded and she blushed. Stefan shook his head in annoyance.

"Want to have a drink with me?" She asked and he smirked at her.

"Want to get out of here?" He asked and Stefan's jaw dropped.

"Sure." She grinned.

"Lead the way." He motioned for the door and she walked out of it and he followed her. When he got to the door he looked over his shoulder and winked at the guys who were watching in shock.

"Oh my god!" Stefan exclaimed. "What is he doing?"

"I can't believe she just swooped in and picked him up after all the work I put into it." Ric sighed and Klaus laughed.

"All the work? You were just staring at her." Klaus replied.

"Damon just left with her! Why are none of you alarmed?" Stefan asked and they shrugged.

"Damon will do what Damon will do. What are we supposed to do about it?" Seth asked and Stefan's eyes widened. Ric, Seth and Klaus didn't believe for a second that Damon would cheat on Caroline so they weren't worried but they found Stefan's lack of faith in him amusing.

"He's our friend, so we have to have his back." Klaus said and Ric smirked that Klaus was playing along.

"Yeah, so don't tell Caroline." Ric warned and Stefan stared at them all like they were crazy.

"What is wrong with you three?" Stefan exclaimed and they laughed.

"Well, you know what they say... When the cat's away the mice will play." Seth said and Ric and Klaus chuckled.

"What's a little harmless fun, anyway?" Klaus asked and Stefan just stood there with his mouth wide open in disbelief. Stefan had his back to the door so he didn't see Damon come in looking amused.

"Harmless fun? He has a wife and a child! He can't be off gallivanting with random blondes in bars! You three should be ashamed of yourselves!" Stefan yelled and Damon rolled his eyes.

"You are such a drama queen." Damon said and Stefan turned around surprised.

"Good, you changed your mind." Stefan nodded and all the boys laughed at him.

"Nope. I went to have a drink with her... She just didn't do any drinking." Damon winked and realisation washed over Stefan.

"You all knew!" He yelled at the three men and they laughed loudly.

"Damon would never ever cheat on Cookie." Seth said and Damon chuckled.

"She'd kill me if I did." Damon pointed out.

"I can't believe you all did that to me." Stefan replied and they chuckled.

"You are so fun to mess with though." Seth said and Damon laughed.

"He so is." Damon nodded. "But thanks for the vote of confidence, bro." Damon patted Stefan on the back.

"I can't believe that you got picked up like that with no effort." Ric muttered and Damon smirked.

"Happens." He shrugged.

"This happens a lot?" Ric asked in disbelief and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"At the supermarket, the gas station, restaurants, bars, parks, airports, any shop he goes into..." Stefan trailed off. "There's a reason he's slept with like a million people." Stefan said and Damon chuckled.

"You jealous Steffi-weffi?" Damon asked and Stefan frowned.

"Yes." He said and they all laughed.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later a group of four girls came into the bar and Stefan and Ric were on high alert. It was Damon's round so he went to the bar. Ric watched in disbelief as all four of the girls stared at Damon then went over to him and surrounded him.<p>

"This just sucks." Ric said and Stefan deadpanned.

"I know." He replied.

"We need to ditch him or we'll never get laid." Ric said and Klaus and Seth laughed. Damon looked up at him then winked and just to annoy Ric and Stefan he slung his arms around two of the girls' shoulders and smirked.

"I really hate him right now." Stefan sighed.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Ric and Stefan forced them all to go to a different bar because practically every woman in the place was either checking Damon out or had tried to hit on him. They went to the next bar and Damon was so amused by the situation he decided to stay out just to annoy them. He could have his own fun. It wasn't long before a girl went to their table and started talking to Ric. Damon was at the bar and saw her go over and chuckled. Ric was going to be so pissed at him. Damon picked up his drink and went over to Ric and put his drink down. Ric was mid sentence and Damon grabbed Ric and kissed him.<p>

"Hello lover." Damon said seductively when he pulled away then turned to the girl. Ric was paralyzed in shock. "Get away from my man." Damon said in a high pitched voice and the girl looked shocked then left quickly and Seth and Klaus burst into hysterics as did Stefan.

"You ass!" Ric yelled and Damon laughed.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Damon laughed and Ric punched him causing Damon to laugh harder.

"She was into me!" Ric yelled and Damon couldn't stop laughing and neither could Stefan, Klaus and Seth.

"So funny!" Seth laughed.

"Can't believe you did that!" Klaus laughed.

"Ric! Your face!" Stefan laughed and held his stomach.

"Where do you even come up with these hair-brained schemes!" Ric yelled and they were all hysterically laughing.

"That's the funniest thing I've ever seen." Klaus laughed.

"You do know we're going to have to go to a different bar now, right?" Ric asked and they all laughed again. "It's not funny." Ric huffed and they laughed harder.

"Is so is!" Seth exclaimed. "Fuck, Damon. I'm buying you a drink for that one." He laughed and Damon smirked.

"Don't worry, Stefan's next." Damon winked at Ric and Stefan stopped laughing.

"Please tell me you aren't going to kiss me." Stefan said and they all laughed again.

"That would be too far, wouldn't it?" Damon smirked and Stefan's eyes widened.

"Damon." Stefan said alarmed and Damon chuckled.

"We both slept with Katherine on the same night lots of times; don't you think we've passed that boundary?" Damon asked amused and Stefan looked fearful. "Calm down, I'm not going to kiss you, Stefan. I do have standards you know." Damon smirked and they all laughed.

"So, I'm up to your standard?" Ric asked horrified and Damon shrugged.

"Why? Do you want another kiss?" Damon asked amused and Ric's eyes widened.

"No. No. No. One was enough." Ric held up his hands in surrender and Damon laughed.

"Buzz-kill." He smirked and Ric rolled his eyes.

"Don't do that again." Ric warned and Stefan sighed.

"You do know by telling him not to do that again, he totally will." Stefan pointed out and Ric slapped his hand to his forehead and groaned.

"I'm never going to get laid." Ric said and they all laughed.

"Barbie is going to laugh her ass off when I tell her about this." Damon chuckled.

"No! Don't tell the girls!" Ric said and Stefan laughed.

"Did you hear anything I just said?" Stefan asked and Ric groaned again.

"You just like making people uncomfortable, don't you?" Klaus asked amused and Damon shrugged.

"I'm on a boys' night out and I can't do anything but drink because of the ball and chain... I have to amuse myself somehow." Damon pointed out with a smirk and Klaus chuckled. A short while later Stefan was talking to a girl and every so often he would glance at Damon as he was expecting some sort of ridicule but Damon was busy talking to Klaus, Ric and Seth about the cruise. The girl Stefan was talking to was really pretty and Stefan was sure he had a shot with her.

"I'm going to the bar." Damon said. "Ric?"

"Same again." Ric said.

"Me too." Seth nodded.

"I'll have a beer this time, please." Klaus said then Damon turned to look at Stefan.

"Stefanie?" Damon asked casually.

"Damon." Stefan said annoyed and Damon looked startled.

"God. I'm so sorry, Stefan. I guess I sometimes forget." He said sincerely. "I didn't mean to bring up the sex change operation. It won't happen again." Damon promised. "You want another beer?" He asked straight faced and Stefan's eyes widened.

"Sex change? You were a woman!" The girl exclaimed at Stefan and the other guy's jaws dropped.

"No. No. He's kidding." Stefan said desperately.

"Freak!" She yelled then stormed off and they all burst into hysterical laughter as Stefan turned around and glared at Damon.

"I hate you." Stefan said and Damon laughed.

"You said you didn't want me to kiss you." Damon pointed out and Stefan covered his face with his hands.

"We need to ditch, Damon." Stefan said to Ric and Ric laughed.

"It was funny when it wasn't me." Ric laughed.

* * *

><p>After a few more hours in a different bar, Ric and Stefan were royally pissed off with Damon. Among other things, he kissed Ric again in front of another girl but the last girl was the worst. Ric thought Damon had left so he started talking to a pretty brunette when Damon came up behind him, put his arms around his waist then kissed the side of his neck and said: "That was the best head I've ever had, Pookie." Klaus and Seth were in physical pain from the amount of laughing they had done at Damon's antics. Neither of them understood why Stefan and Ric kept trying while Damon was there. They were meeting the girls at the beach so they could meet Ferdinand and Stefan and Ric refused to even look at Damon. Klaus and Seth were still laughing when they got to the beach and Caroline kissed Damon when she saw him then pulled away.<p>

"You kissed someone." She said confused and Damon chuckled.

"Ric." Damon said and she laughed.

"This was the funniest night I've ever had in my life!" Seth exclaimed while he and Klaus still laughed.

"Me too!" Klaus exclaimed.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked curiously and Stefan and Ric glared at Damon.

"Why are Stefan and Ric so mad?" Caroline asked and Seth and Klaus burst into hysterics again.

"Damon spent the whole night pulling pranks on them both." Seth laughed.

"Like what?" Caroline grinned.

"The first one, Ric was talking to this hot chick and Damon was at the bar then went straight up to Ric and kissed him and told her to get away from his man in this girly voice." Seth said and the girls buckled over in laughter.

"Why?" Caroline laughed.

"I thought it would be funny." Damon shrugged.

"What about Stefan?" Caroline asked.

"He told a girl I was born with a tail!" Stefan yelled and everyone laughed even Ric.

"And that I wear pink underwear!" Ric exclaimed.

"Pink satin underwear." Damon pointed out.

"And that I had a sex change operation!" Stefan shouted.

"He asked a girl if she wanted to be our egg donor!" Ric yelled.

"The funniest one was when he said it was nice seeing Stefan with a girl after having all the gay sex in the slammer." Seth laughed and the girls were holding their stomachs in hysterics.

"No, the funniest was when he said Stefan was responding well to HIV treatment." Klaus laughed.

"No, funniest was when he said Ric gave amazing head." Seth corrected and Caroline had to sit down on the bed from laughing so much.

"Stop!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Too funny!" She laughed.

"What I don't understand, is why did you keep trying to pick girls up?" Caroline asked while she laughed.

"That's what I said." Klaus agreed between chuckles.

"How did this even start?" Caroline asked amused.

"Damon got picked up at the first bar we were in and Ric said they had to ditch Damon if they were ever going to get laid." Seth said.

"So as usual, Damon took it too far." Caroline giggled.

"Understatement." Stefan huffed and Damon smirked at him.

"At least I didn't kiss you, Stefanie." He said and they all laughed again.

"I'm so getting you back for this." Stefan replied and Damon smirked.

"Knock yourself out." Damon replied amused and Stefan cocked an eyebrow then rushed forward and kissed Caroline. Damon turned his head and watched amused. Everyone else watched in disbelief and they were expecting Damon to kill Stefan but were surprised when he just smirked. He could see Caroline trying to push Stefan away but Damon was confident she would be pissed so he just crossed his arms over his chest and waited. After a few seconds, Caroline swung her knee up and kneed Stefan full force in the balls, causing him to fall over onto the sand and Damon laughed. "That's my girl." He winked at her but Caroline looked furious.

"What the hell, Stefan!" She yelled as Stefan lay on the ground holding himself and groaning in pain. "If you want to get Damon back, that's fine, but don't you ever use me again! Is that understood?" She yelled and he nodded. "Good." She snapped then walked over to Damon and he slung his arm over her shoulder. Caroline was worried that Damon would be upset with her for not getting Stefan off fast enough. "I'm sorry I tried to get him off but he's stronger than me." She said to Damon sincerely and he chuckled.

"Don't worry about it." He kissed her nose.

"I have to say, Damon. I keep expecting you to stake him for that one." Klaus said and Damon smirked.

"Barbie can take care of herself." He shrugged. "Clearly." Damon nodded his head and Stefan was still on the ground.

"You're not angry?" Bonnie asked in disbelief and Damon laughed.

"Why would I be angry? Stefan's just drunk and pissed off. He doesn't have a lot of common sense when he drinks." Damon pointed out.

"I'm sorry, Caroline." Stefan said as he got to his feet slowly.

"You should be." Caroline snapped.

"I am, I wasn't thinking." Stefan said guiltily.

"Both of you stop being drama queens." Damon said. "C'mon, Barbie. Let's go see Ferdinand, eh?" He smiled at her. "He'll cheer you up."

"Okay." She smiled back. She had her bikini on under her dress so she pulled her dress off as Damon pulled off his shirt and shorts. He had his board shorts on underneath his Dickies then he took his shoes off.

"Aren't you all coming?" Damon asked confused when they were the only ones in swim suits.

"Do you want us to?" Stefan asked sceptically. "After..." He said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Are we seriously still talking about this?" Damon asked. "That was so five minutes ago, just hurry up or it'll be morning already." He said and everyone started to strip down to their swim suits. Damon did peek at Zara in her bikini and tried not to make it obvious that he was totally staring at her as her body was incredible. Stefan noticed but wisely didn't comment and Damon forced his attention to Caroline who was smirking at him and he chuckled. She always noticed everything. "Did you call him?" He asked her and she nodded.

"He'll be here in a few minutes. We might as well swim out." She said then took his hand and the two of them walked into the water.

"He won't eat us, right?" Bonnie asked just before they jumped in and Damon laughed.

"Only if Barbie tells him to." Damon replied. "Watch out, Stef." Damon winked then he dived in and Caroline followed him as did everyone else. They swam out quickly and Klaus helped Zara swim as she was only human. She was going to have to pop up and down for air. When they were about half a mile out, Caroline stopped and dived under the water. Everyone else followed except Klaus and Zara. Klaus would swim down with her when the shark turned up. Minutes later they saw a fin heading towards them so Zara took a deep breath and Klaus pulled her down to everyone else. They watched in awe as Caroline swam right up to the shark and he bowed first to her then confused everyone by bowing to Damon too then Caroline went to him and stroked his back.

_My Queen and Prince._

_Hi Ferdinand. This is my family. That's Ric, Stefan, Bonnie, Seth, Klaus and Zara._ She pointed.

_I am honoured._ He replied.

_Zara is human so she will have to go up for air, so don't be alarmed._ Caroline explained.

_Thank you for telling me, my Queen._ He said.

_How are you doing this evening?_ She asked him with a smile.

_Very well, thank you. I was just about to go feed. How are you?_ He replied.

_Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead, I'll come back and see you tomorrow._ She said.

_Thank you._ He said to her then bowed to them both and took off. Klaus shot back up to the surface so Zara could breathe and the rest of them went up too.

"Where did he go?" Damon asked surprised.

"He was just about to go eat when I called. So I told him to go." She shrugged as they bobbed on the water.

"Why did he bow to Damon?" Klaus asked and before Caroline could answer Damon interrupted.

"Dude, he's a shark. Who knows?" Damon said and Caroline giggled.

"Aren't you the little liar?" Caroline smirked and he shot her a death glare.

"Don't tell them." Damon warned and she cocked an eyebrow as if to say 'or what?'

"Tell us what?" Klaus asked curiously.

"Do we all have to know everything about each other? Can't there be some things that we just don't talk about?" Damon asked exasperated and Caroline giggled.

"Damon is..." She started but Damon zoomed over to her and covered her mouth.

"Tired. I'm tired. Come on, Barbie. Let's get you back to shore." He said and started to swim as she tried to pry his hands off her mouth while the rest of them laughed. _Caroline, please. Don't tell them._ He pleaded with her sincerely. _I'm begging you._

"So, it's something that Damon's embarrassed about." Ric smirked and Damon glared at him as he continued to swim, though they all followed.

_I'll call Ferdinand to come and bite your ass if you don't let me go._ Caroline warned.

"Go for it." Damon replied annoyed.

"What did she say?" Klaus chuckled.

"That she's going to get her shark to come and bite me." Damon huffed and they laughed. Caroline then remembered that though Klaus wasn't a hybrid anymore, she could still speak to him telepathically. She heard the way Damon pleaded with her not to say anything but she thought it might be funny.

_Klaus?_ She asked amused. Damon was going to be livid. Klaus chuckled when he heard her voice.

_Yes, darling?_ He answered.

_There is a prophecy about the Queen that says the vampire that wins her heart becomes the Prince of the Night._ She said and Klaus' eyes widened.

"The Prince of the Night?" Klaus asked out loud in disbelief and Damon's face fell and he let go of her.

_So, I can't trust you, again._ Damon said to her seriously then disappeared into the water and sped to shore faster than the others could follow. Caroline's jaw dropped at his words and the fact that he said 'again'. She thought he would huff and be annoyed but she hadn't realised it was such a big deal for them to know. She dived into the water and raced after him. She went to the villa and found him packing up his things into his suitcase.

"Damon! What are you doing?" She exclaimed and he scowled at her.

"Leaving." He replied and took off his swim trunks and wrapped a towel around himself.

"Why? Just because I told Klaus?" She asked and he glared at her.

"I told you I didn't want him to know that!" Damon yelled at her.

"Just to avoid ridicule?" She asked confused and he huffed.

"No!" He yelled.

"Then what!" She yelled back.

"There's more to it than what you know. I read about it in Klaus' library. I know the prophecy and I didn't want anyone to know about it." He snapped. "I figured out that it was me when the fucking shark nodded at me." Damon lied.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" She asked in disbelief.

"Why would I ever tell you anything when you can't keep your mouth shut?" Damon snapped.

"That's not fair." She replied as tears welled in her eyes. "You didn't say anything like it was important not to tell them." She said and Damon shook his head.

"When are you going to get it in your head, Caroline?" He snapped. "I don't want them to know all of my business! They don't need to know _everything_ about me! You tell them absolutely everything. I can't trust you with anything." He said in disbelief and she cried.

"Damon, I'm sorry." She sobbed and he shook his head.

"Now, Klaus knows! He fucking knows!" Damon yelled at her. "He's read every book in that fucking library! He knows the prophecy! Now he knows it's me! Thank you for ruining my life." He said to her and more tears spilled from her eyes.

"Damon, stop that." Klaus said as he walked into the villa. He was alone and Damon couldn't hear or sense any of the others around.

"Fuck off, Klaus." Damon snapped and Klaus shook his head.

"Nothing has to change." Klaus said. "But first, stop shouting at Caroline. You didn't even tell her why you don't want anyone to know, so you can't expect her to read your mind." Klaus snapped then hugged Caroline tightly.

"Did you know it was me?" Damon asked him seriously and Klaus sighed.

"Yes." Klaus admitted and Damon looked furious. "But then, I believe you've known yourself for months." He replied and Damon's face hardened.

"How long?" Damon asked and Klaus took a deep breath.

"Since we were in Mystic Falls and I found out you could control the weather." Klaus replied.

"You didn't say anything." Damon seethed.

"Neither did you." Klaus replied.

"Are either of you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" Caroline asked emotionally.

"No." Damon replied.

"Damon, your wolf side is controlling your anger. You have to stop or you will do something that you regret." Klaus said.

"I don't care." Damon snapped.

"Yes, you do and you're going to feel like the biggest arse in the world once you've calmed down." Klaus replied. "Take a walk, go have a drink, go kill someone, whatever, I don't care; just calm down." Klaus said.

"I'm leaving." Damon said seriously and Klaus shook his head.

"Don't be stupid, Damon. Nothing has changed since I found out and nothing has to change." Klaus replied.

"No, I mean I'm not living in Amsterdam anymore." Damon replied and Caroline gasped.

"But that's where we live." She exclaimed and he shook his head.

"You'll still live there, but I can't do this anymore." Damon replied and she burst into tears again and Klaus glared at Damon as he held the sobbing Caroline.

"It doesn't change anything." Klaus said.

"If I don't hold her heart, I won't be the Prince." Damon replied and Klaus sighed.

"Damon, it's done. It's not something that can be undone." Klaus said softly and Damon sat down on the bed and stared at the wall. "Even if she dies, you will still be the Prince." He said.

"Then kill me and I won't be." Damon replied and Caroline whimpered.

"Please, don't." Caroline begged. "I can't live without you." She begged and he could feel himself being torn apart from the inside out. He didn't want to hurt her but he just couldn't deal with all of it.

"What am I supposed to do, Caroline?" He asked her softly. "Just sit and play house with you and the rest for all of eternity?" He asked her.

"We can change things. We'll do whatever you want." She pleaded and Klaus shot Damon a look that said 'you better fix this'.

"Damon, after the kids are born we will be starting the hunt. Things will change then. We won't always be in each other's space." Klaus said.

"And what about this Prince thing? You just said that no matter what I do, that's who I'll be." Damon replied in despair.

"You don't have to do anything about it." Klaus replied. "You can compel everyone to forget about it if you want to. Nobody has to know." He said seriously.

"If Ferdinand, a lone shark, knows, it's safe to assume many if not all of the animals know." Damon pointed out. "Who knows how many vampires know." He shook his head. "This is too much. It's too much!" Damon yelled.

"It is a heavy burden, Damon." Klaus said sadly. "It's a shame you had to be cursed with this so young, but I don't believe you couldn't handle it." Klaus said.

"Curse? What are you talking about?" Caroline asked through her tears and Damon sighed and nodded to Klaus. She might as well know.

"This cannot be repeated, darling, okay?" Klaus said to her softly and she nodded. "As the Queen, you will one day control not only animals but some supernatural creatures. As the Prince, Damon is burdened with the control and responsibility of all the vampires in the world." Klaus said and her eyes widened.

"What?" She gasped.

"The Originals always took on that responsibility until the day the Prince would appear." Klaus explained. "The day your heart completely became his and vice versa, was the day Damon was given incredible power." Klaus said. "It's not known how much power."

"What do you mean he has responsibility for all the vampires though?" She asked.

"If he does the job, it will mean he has to keep track of vampires all over the world, take out vampires that are a threat both to humans on a large scale and to other vampires. He will have to govern them." Klaus said.

"Like the Volturi?" She asked in disbelief and Damon rolled his eyes and Klaus chuckled.

"Yes, but instead of a group there will just be him." Klaus said.

"That's terrible." Caroline whispered.

"I can't believe you know who the Volturi are." Damon said to Klaus.

"I think you would have to be living at the bottom of the ocean to not know." Klaus replied.

"I really did ruin your life." Caroline gasped and Klaus was right, Damon felt like the biggest ass in the world.

"I didn't mean that." Damon said. "I was just angry. I'm sorry." He said to her though he was still furious with her for repeating it when he asked her not to, regardless of whether Klaus knew already or not.

"Please, can you stay? Can we try to work this out?" She pleaded and he felt horrendously bad.

"Yes. I'm sorry for blowing up at you." Damon said quietly.

"You have a lot on your shoulders. I understand." She nodded and it only made him feel worse.

"I will go." Klaus said. "Damon, attempt to control your temper." Klaus said then left.

"I won't tell anyone anything about us again. I promise." She said and he sighed.

"Can you just pretend I didn't say any of those things? I didn't mean any of it." Damon replied softly. He didn't want to rock the boat anymore than he had, though he didn't know if he could completely trust her.

"But you were right." She replied wiping her eyes. "You have to be able to know that when you tell me something, I can keep it to myself. I'm your wife first and everyone else's friend second." She said.

"I'm just a very private person. I don't open up easily and I don't want everyone knowing everything about me." He explained.

"I didn't respect that before and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let you down." She said and he felt guilty.

"You didn't let me down, Caroline. I overreacted as usual." Damon said then took his towel off and got under the covers on the bed. He patted the space next to him so Caroline took off her wet bikini and got in beside him and he grabbed her and pulled him into his arms. "I'm sorry." He said softly.

"I'm sorry too." She replied. "We can leave Amsterdam if you want to." She said honestly and he shook his head.

"I was just freaking out. I don't actually want to leave our home there." He said.

"If you ever change your mind, just tell me and we'll go." She said and he was surprised at how much she meant it.

"You too." Damon nodded.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Damon left the island the next day and went to Rio. They changed their travel plans and decided to skip the rainforest and just go on the cruise with everyone else instead. The others were flying out of Turks and Caicos two days later and they would all meet up in Ecuador before going on the cruise. Before she left, Caroline got the address for Monroe from Klaus. She wanted to tell Damon the reason for going to Rio but she wasn't sure of how he would react. They arrived at their hotel in Rio and Damon noticed she was really quiet. They checked in and went to their room and when they got to their room, he couldn't take it anymore.<p>

"What's wrong?" He asked her concerned and she sighed.

"There's something I have to tell you and I don't know how you're going to react." She said hesitantly and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Just spit it out." He said annoyed. He really didn't want to hear any more bad news when they were already so rocky.

"I have an ulterior motive for being here." She said and he looked stunned.

"Which is?" He asked.

"Monroe is here." She replied and his jaw dropped.

"You played me." Damon said and she could see how hurt he was. "You knew if you told me that you always wanted to come here that I would take you without question. You manipulated me." He said and she nodded.

"I didn't know if you would still let me go if I told you the real reason." She said softly.

"How did you even know he was here?" Damon asked narrowing his eyes.

"Klaus." She replied and Damon shook his head. He had to keep his anger in check so he wouldn't explode at her again the way he had in Turks and Caicos.

"So, you're telling me that I told you something that was to be kept between us and you went behind my back to Klaus even though I told you it would be a bad idea to contact Monroe." He said and she hadn't really put it together like that in her head.

"When you put it like that, it sounds bad." She winced and he huffed.

"You think?" He asked her annoyed. "You manipulated me into coming here, you repeated to Klaus what I told you in confidence and you went against me again when I never do that to you. You always get anything you want from me even when I don't want to give it." Damon shook his head.

"I'm sorry." She said emotionally.

"No." He said to her. "Do _not_ cry. You do not get to make me feel bad right now." He warned her. "Go talk to Monroe since that's the reason we're here. I'm going to a bar to get out of my mind drunk. I want no part of this and I guarantee you I will tell Stefan about this the next time I see him, even though he'll be furious with me for telling you about it in the first place." Damon replied.

"Please, can we talk about this?" She pleaded and he shook his head.

"No." He said to her then left the room. Caroline slumped down on the couch. She knew that she'd messed up badly as trust was everything to Damon. She figured since she was already in the bad books, she might as well go find Monroe.

* * *

><p>Caroline went to the apartment that he supposedly lived in and watched from the other side of the street. Klaus had given her a brief description of his looks. Tall, muscular, short black hair and green eyes and he looked a little like Dominic Purcell but less beefy and better looking. She had to admit he was a really hot guy. It wasn't long until he left the apartment and she followed him silently from a distance, making sure he didn't notice her. Eventually he went into a small bar and she walked in to find him sitting at the bar and she sat down a stool away from him and attempted to order herself a drink but the bartender didn't speak English and she didn't know Portuguese.<p>

"What are you trying to order?" He asked her with a smile and she giggled.

"I just wanted to know if they had cocktails." She said and he nodded.

"What do you want?" He asked her.

"Do they have strawberry daiquiris?" She smiled and he ordered it for her. "Thank you so much." She said to him and he smiled at her.

"Are you new here?" He asked her and she giggled.

"Obvious, huh?" She asked and he laughed.

"The first thing people learn in Portuguese when they come here is how to order booze." He smirked at her and she laughed.

"I'm only here for a couple of days, but next time I'll learn that." She smiled.

"You do that." He chuckled. "What made you come into this bar?" He asked curiously as it was a hole in the wall away from the road.

"I just didn't feel like going to some fancy metropolitan place." She smiled. "I like little places like this; you always meet the most interesting people." She said and he grinned.

"I'm Brad." He held out his hand and she shook it.

"Caroline." She smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Brad. Do you live in Rio?" She asked him curiously.

"Just for the next few weeks. Then I'm going back to Europe." He said. "What about you? Where do you live?" He asked her.

"Amsterdam." She smiled and he looked surprised.

"I live in Germany." He replied. "In a small city called Dortmund. That's only two hours away from Amsterdam by car." He chuckled and her eyes widened.

"What a coincidence." She exclaimed.

"What do you do?" He asked her.

"I actually just started working for Chanel." She replied and his jaw dropped.

"No way. I'm so jealous." He replied and she giggled.

"What do you do?" She asked.

"I'm a photographer." He replied then looked surprised. "You're a..." He trailed off and she smirked.

"As are you." She pointed out and he chuckled.

"There are hardly any vampires here, you know." He said.

"Is that a good thing?" She asked curiously and he shrugged.

"I find if I don't bother anyone, nobody bothers me." He said and she nodded. She didn't find that at all but didn't see the point in arguing.

"Are you seeing anyone?" She asked curiously and he laughed nervously.

"I'm gay." He said to her and she giggled.

"Yeah, I know." She smirked. "I was just curious." She replied and he chuckled.

"No, I haven't had any luck in that department for a long time so I kind of gave up." He said.

"That's too bad." She said softly. She totally loved this guy already. He was so nice and his smile lit up a room. They were given their drinks then and she giggled when she saw he got the same drink as her.

"You have good taste in booze." He smirked as he sipped through his straw and she giggled.

"Thanks, so do you." She winked and he chuckled.

"So are you heading home after Rio?" He asked curiously.

"No, my husband and I are meeting our friends in Ecuador and we're going on the Galapagos cruise." She grinned.

"Wow, that's cool." He nodded. "Where is your husband?" He asked and she sighed.

"Sulking in a bar somewhere. We had a fight." She said.

"Aww, sweetie." He smiled sadly. "I'm sure you'll work things out." He said and she nodded.

"We always do." She replied.

"How long have you been married?" He asked.

"Nearly nine months." She replied. "But it feels like forever." She giggled and he laughed. "Not in a bad way though." She smiled. She was totally set on her plan to reunite him with Stefan so she knew she would have to drop in her last name somehow. "What's your last name?" She asked curiously.

"Monroe." He smiled. "Any gay man's dream." He smirked and she laughed. "What's yours?"

"Salvatore." She smiled and he blinked in surprise.

"Salvatore?" He asked and she nodded.

"Why?" She asked curiously.

"No reason, I just dated a Salvatore once. It's not a common surname." He replied. "Is that your surname or his?" He asked hesitantly.

"His. He was turned in the 1800's so he bugged me to change it." She giggled and his jaw dropped.

"With his brother?" He asked and she pretended to look surprised.

"Yeah... how did you know?" She asked though she knew.

"I think I dated your husband." He said in disbelief.

"I think he would have told me if he dated a guy before." She pointed out. "Though I guess you never know with Damon." She giggled and his jaw dropped.

"You're married to Damon?" He asked shocked. "Damon is married? To one person?" He asked and she laughed.

"Did you think I was married to Stef?" She asked and she saw him freeze at Stefan's name.

"Damon just didn't seem like the marrying kind, I guess." He replied awkwardly then she felt bad.

"It's truth time..." She said hesitantly. "I knew who you were." She said and he looked startled.

"What?" He asked.

"I actually came to Rio to find you." She said and his jaw dropped.

"Why?"

"That's why Damon's sulking in a bar right now. He told me about you and Stefan and I decided to find you and see if you still had feelings for Stefan." She said.

"Why would you do that?" He asked shocked.

"Because Damon thinks that you are possibly the love of Stefan's life." She replied and he nearly fell off his seat.

"Does Stefan know you're here?" He asked and she shook her head no.

"I wanted to see where you stood on it before mentioning it to him." She shrugged.

"Do you know why we broke up?" He asked sceptically. She could tell that he didn't want to cause any trouble between her and Damon.

"Because Damon convinced you that Stefan cheated on you so you slept with Damon to get back at Stefan, which was Damon's plan all along." She replied and he gasped.

"He actually told you that?" He asked.

"Damon always admits to what he's done." She nodded. "He was punishing Stefan for something Stefan did to him years before." She admitted. "Not that it excuses him but in his twisted mind it made sense at the time." She replied and Brad actually chuckled.

"So you know Damon well then." He smirked.

"I do." She agreed. "I'm sorry I wasn't honest from the start but Stefan is my best friend and I only want him to be happy." She said.

"But how can you be married to Damon and still be Stefan's best friend?" He asked confused.

"They ended their century and a half long feud last year." She replied. "They both did terrible things to each other and I'm glad they finally stopped it and decided to work things out. Though Stefan will be livid with him when he finds out the truth about you." She said nervously.

"It's good that they are getting along. I remember how much Stefan wanted that." Brad said. "So where does Stefan live now?" He asked.

"With us in Amsterdam." She shrugged and he looked surprised.

"How's that working out?" He asked and she chuckled.

"It has its ups and downs but for the most part it's great." She smiled. "But, Stefan needs someone in his life." She smirked and Brad sighed.

"I never got over him." Brad replied honestly.

"So, would you be interested in maybe seeing him again? Maybe the two of you could talk things through?" She asked and he suddenly looked nervous.

"I don't know." He said. "I think I might fall apart again if I saw him." He admitted.

"Were you happy with him?" She asked softly and she could see his eyes welling up.

"Yeah." He replied then blinked to hold them back.

"Well, why don't you think about it?" She asked him softly. "I'll give you my number and you can take some time to think it over. I'll be in Rio until the day after tomorrow, then Ecuador for two weeks, then home to Amsterdam." She said.

"I can't believe you flew here to do this for him." He replied. "Does Stefan know he's got such an awesome friend?" He asked and she laughed.

"I don't know about awesome." She admitted. "Damon is furious with me and is planning to tell Stefan about this when we meet up in Ecuador." She sighed. "You could come with us to Ecuador, you know." She said. "If he can get over all the things Damon did to him, surely he's over this misunderstanding too." She pointed out.

"Wouldn't it be weird for you considering what happened between Damon and me?" He asked and she laughed.

"Honey, if I was weird about everyone Damon slept with it would be a full time job." She said and he laughed loudly.

"How did you land Damon anyway?" He asked in awe. "So many people tried and failed." He said and she laughed.

"It's a long story." She said and he smiled.

"I'm not busy." He replied and she giggled.

"Well, we dated briefly when I was human and he used me for his meal on wheels." She smirked. "Then I accidentally turned and a whole heap of supernatural crap happened in the town I'm from and once that was over, we left to give the town peace. We started travelling together and spent every second of the day together and I wasn't impressed by him and didn't take his shit and made fun of him regularly." She smiled. "And somehow, in the space of a week, he fell for me and I fell for him and we got married the night we realised our feelings for each other." She giggled and his jaw dropped.

"You fell in love and got married in a week?" He asked in disbelief and she laughed.

"Yeah." She nodded. "It's crazy if you weren't there with us. It felt natural at the time." She smiled.

"You really love Damon, don't you?" He asked with a smiled.

"More than anything in the world combined." She nodded. "And he loves me just as much." She said confidently. "Even though he's royally pissed off right now." She said.

* * *

><p>Caroline returned to the hotel late that night as she'd spent the whole afternoon talking to Brad. She totally loved the guy and she was looking forward to spending more time with him. She found Damon passed out on the couch and sighed because that meant he didn't want to sleep next to her on the bed. She knew that she messed up big time but she didn't know how to fix it. She woke up early in the morning and Damon was watching TV on the couch.<p>

"Morning." She said shyly as she sat up.

"Morning." He replied annoyed.

"Are you still mad?" She asked sceptically and he still didn't look at her.

"Furious." He replied and she sighed.

"Can I at least tell you what happened last night?" She asked.

"No. I told you I want no part of this." He replied.

"Please, can you just hold off on telling Stefan?" She asked softly.

"He's going to be furious with me. If I don't tell him right away, it will be worse." Damon snapped.

"Blame it on me then." She replied and Damon snorted.

"I could tell him that it was your fault but he would still blame me for telling you about Monroe in the first place." Damon said.

"Are you going to forgive me?" She asked softly.

"Eventually." He replied. "But for now, you and I are taking a break." He said to her and she gasped.

"What do you mean a break?" She asked in disbelief.

"It means as of now, you and I are not together." He said to her and her jaw dropped.

"Why?" She asked confused.

"Because I need a break. I need time." He said to her. "I will still stay with you and protect you but that's it as you are still my son's mother." He said and he still hadn't looked at her.

"Please, Damon. I'm so sorry." She said as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm not falling for it this time, Caroline. I still love you and I do want to be with you but I can't be right now." He shook his head.

"So you're breaking up with me?" She asked in disbelief.

"If you want to see it that way then, yes." He nodded. "I'm getting a separate room for tonight." He said to her. "Then on the ship I'll get a different room if they have any left or I'll bunk with Stefan if he's still talking to me." Damon said.

"You're serious." She blinked in confusion.

"Completely." He replied looking at her for the first time and she nearly choked at the disappointment she could see in his eyes. "I'll meet you in the lobby tomorrow at noon." He said then grabbed his stuff and left and Caroline cried her heart out.


	25. Phone Call

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>The Road Ahead<p>

Chapter 25

* * *

><p>Caroline spent the day with Monroe again as she had no idea where Damon was and he'd compelled the front desk not to tell her which room he was in and somehow he'd cut off their connection so she couldn't even sense him. Brad decided to come with her to Ecuador for the day to see Stefan. If he refused to talk to him then at least maybe Brad could start to get over it. Damon was waiting for her in the lobby at noon and they went to the airport together without speaking. She tried a couple of times to start off a conversation with him but he always answered with one word answers so she soon gave up. When they got to the airport, Caroline spotted Brad and waved causing Damon to look and he rolled his eyes when he saw him. Brad walked over cautiously to them.<p>

"Hey Damon." Brad said.

"Monroe." He nodded. Damon thought he looked much better than he used to as Brad used to have shoulder length long hair. "You can take my seat next to Caroline." Damon said. "I'll take yours." Caroline noticed that he hadn't called her Barbie once since they were in Turks and Caicos and as much as she hadn't been a fan of the nickname before, she was desperate to hear it again.

"Uh... thanks?" Brad asked and Damon shrugged then they went over and checked in. They went through security and Damon didn't speak to either of them and went straight to a bar to drink before the flight took off. "You weren't kidding." Brad said to Caroline once Damon was gone.

"I thought he would have changed his mind by now." She said sadly.

"It'll work out." Brad nodded. "Don't worry." He smiled at her. In just the two days he'd spent with her, he knew that they could be great friends. Soon enough, the plane boarded and Caroline and Brad sat next to each other in first class while Damon went to sit near the back of the plane in Brad's seat. Caroline found the flight excruciatingly long and wanted to talk to Damon more than anything. She looked back several times and Damon was constantly staring out the window, drinking. When they landed, Damon took her luggage silently with his and Brad grabbed his own bag and they got a taxi together. Damon was silent all the way to the hotel the rest of the gang were staying in and when they arrived Damon checked into his own room and left Caroline and Brad in the lobby without a word. He was so beyond furious with her that he didn't want to be around her. He needed time to cool off before he could even consider trying to rebuild their relationship, though he knew without a doubt that he wanted to. Caroline and Brad checked in then went up to Caroline's room. She found out that Stefan was in a room one floor above hers and she went to get him while Brad stayed in her room, a nervous wreck. She knocked on his door and he opened with a smile and hugged her.

"Hey, how was your flight?" Stefan smiled at her.

"Crap." She replied. "I need you to come with me." She said to him and he looked alarmed.

"Okay." He said then followed her down. "Is everything alright?" He asked her.

"I hope so." She replied softly then opened the door to her room and dragged Stefan in.

"Caroline, what's going on?" Stefan looked at her confused then she closed the door and pointed behind him hesitantly. Stefan turned around and nearly fell over at the sight of Brad standing there. "Brad?" He asked in disbelief.

"Hey Stefan." He said softly and Caroline could see how emotional the two of them were.

"I'm going to leave you two to talk." She said then slipped out of the room.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked softly as his heart clenched.

"It seems that Damon told Caroline about us when he was giving her a history of his life and she decided to track me down." He said. "She tricked Damon into taking her to Rio because she found out I was there."

"You look good." Stefan replied as he processed that. He found he was mortified.

"So do you." Brad replied. "Go easy on Caroline. Damon broke up with her because of this." He said and Stefan's jaw dropped.

"Damon broke up with her? Are you serious?" Stefan asked in disbelief and Brad nodded.

"He's so furious with her that he didn't say a word to her the whole time from the airport in Rio to the hotel." Brad explained and Stefan shook his head.

"Why did you come?" Stefan asked curiously.

"Because I still love you." Brad replied and Stefan blinked in surprise.

"Why now after nearly twenty years?" Stefan asked confused.

"Because you need to hear what actually happened. Damon convinced me that you were sleeping with Robert and I went out, got smashed and slept with Damon to get back at you." Brad explained. "Then Damon told you that we slept together and you never spoke to me again." He said and Stefan nodded.

"Nothing ever happened between Robert and me." Stefan replied.

"I know that now." Brad said. "I didn't know that then."

"So how do you know that now?" Stefan asked.

"Caroline told me that Damon planned it all to get back at you for something you did years before it." Brad admitted. Stefan knew right away what the payback was for and as much as he wanted to be angry with Damon, he found that he couldn't be.

"You could have just confronted me about Robert instead of instantly going for the payback option." Stefan pointed out.

"Stefan, you spent a lot of time with him and if you remember, a couple of times I caught you in lies about him." Brad reminded him and Stefan nodded.

"That's because he was having a hard time with something and didn't want everyone to know about it." Stefan replied. "I was just being a friend, nothing more."

"Do you still feel anything for me?" Brad asked softly and Stefan nodded.

"You know I always will." Stefan replied.

"Would you be willing to maybe spend some time together? See if we can work things out?" Brad asked softly and Stefan thought about it for a moment. He still thought about Brad almost every day after almost twenty years.

"Alright." Stefan nodded and Brad smiled then raced forward and hugged him tightly and Stefan hugged him back.

"You know, you only live two hour's drive from me." Brad smirked when he pulled away and Stefan smiled.

"Where are you living?" He asked.

"Dortmund." Brad grinned and Stefan chuckled.

"That's not far at all." He said.

"I missed you, Stef." Brad said as he took his hand.

"I missed you too." Stefan smiled then leaned forward and kissed him. Brad cupped his cheeks and kissed him back passionately. "I need to go talk to Damon." Stefan said softly and Brad nodded. Stefan fished out his room key from his pocket. "I'm in room 518 if you want to wait for me there." Stefan said.

"I'll go now." He smiled.

* * *

><p>Damon was sulking in his room when he heard a knock at his door. He'd been drinking nonstop since he woke up that morning so his senses weren't that sharp. He opened the door and sighed.<p>

"I know you're pissed at me." Damon said sadly. "I'm sorry. I had no idea she was going to do that behind my back." He admitted then was shocked when Stefan hugged him tightly.

"Thank you." Stefan whispered and Damon hugged him back.

"There's something you should know." Damon winced and Stefan pulled away.

"Brad told me." Stefan replied.

"Aren't you pissed?" Damon asked confused and Stefan shrugged.

"We both did so many things to each other over the years. We're past all that now." Stefan said.

"So are you and Monroe getting back together?" Damon asked surprised and Stefan shrugged.

"We're going to spend some time together and see how it goes." He replied and Damon smiled.

"I hope it works out for you, bro. You deserve to be happy." He said and Stefan smiled sadly.

"Why did you break up with Caroline?" Stefan asked and Damon sighed.

"She's broken my trust one too many times." Damon replied and Stefan nodded. He knew how important trust was to Damon.

"Is this permanent?" Stefan asked worriedly.

"No, of course not." Damon shook his head. "Just for a while. I need a break to cool off. If we don't have a break right now, I could see it ending permanently and that's the last thing I want." Damon said honestly.

"Are you still going on the cruise?" Stefan asked and Damon nodded.

"I've tried to get another room but there aren't any." Damon said.

"You can stay with me." Stefan replied and Damon smirked.

"Isn't Monroe going?" Damon asked and Stefan shook his head.

"No, he needs to be in Rio again the day after tomorrow. He's going to come to Amsterdam when we're back though." Stefan smiled and Damon could see his brother was really happy.

"I'm sorry about all of that." Damon replied and Stefan grinned at him. He recognised that it wasn't often Damon gave an apology even though Stefan felt he didn't really deserve one.

"I love you, Damon. I'm sorry for everything I did to you." Stefan said and Damon nodded.

"So we're good?" Damon asked and Stefan smiled.

"We are." He replied.

"Good." Damon smiled. "Now stop standing here talking to me. Go see your future boyfriend." Damon pointed to the door and Stefan chuckled.

"You going to be alright?" Stefan asked when he got to the door.

"Do you know where Ric is? I could really use my drinking buddy right about now." Damon nodded.

"I'll send him up." Stefan said.

"Thanks." Damon replied then Stefan left.

* * *

><p>Ric spent the rest of the evening in Damon's hotel room and the two of them got plastered. Ric was shocked that Damon and Caroline split up as he never thought that would happen but Damon explained a little bit, without too many details, what had happened and Ric could understand why Damon was livid. The following day, Damon stuck close to Ric and Stefan as they went to the ship as Klaus and the girls stuck with Caroline. Seth was splitting his time between both Caroline and Damon since Bonnie was Caroline's best friend, though he silently agreed with Damon. Damon was also angry at Klaus for doing the search for Monroe behind his back so Klaus was steering clear of him. Stefan and Ric had booked a two bedroom suite so Ric took one bedroom and the brothers took the other. The three of them hung out together in the ship bars and Damon helped Ric and Stefan pick up girls. He felt like he owed them for Turks and Caicos and he proved to be an excellent wingman. Stefan was actually surprised that Damon, although single, didn't look at even one girl though he'd spotted Caroline chatting to guys with Bonnie when Seth was over with them.<p>

After four days, Stefan could see that Damon was not at all happy and he decided to try and cheer him up. Damon hadn't spoken to or spoken about Caroline once since they boarded the ship. Stefan, Damon and Ric were going to the Irish pub on the ship and when they got there, Caroline was over in a corner sitting at a table with a strapping looking guy. Damon walked straight out and Stefan and Ric looked at each other nervously.

"Damon?" Stefan asked as they walked down the ship to another bar.

"I'm fine, Stef." Damon replied and he honestly did look fine.

"How?" Ric asked concerned.

"We're broken up. She can do whatever she wants to. As can I." Damon smirked and Stefan nodded. He knew that if Damon started sleeping around on the ship, things could go from bad to worse, but Damon was an adult and didn't need opinions, he just needed them to be there for him. "And I haven't had sex in nearly a week." Damon groaned.

"Well, let's go fix that." Ric said and Damon smiled at him. His best friend just got him.

"Excellent." Damon smirked and the three guys went into another bar. Within minutes, Damon spotted a girl he was interested in and it wasn't long before she came over. Ric was still constantly surprised by Damon's allure to women but decided not to dwell on it as she brought two friends over. After a few more drinks, Damon and the girl were making out as were Ric and one of her friends and Stefan with the other friend. Damon left with his girl first and went back to her room on the ship. He was nice and drunk so was fairly numb to all of the annoying feelings that were creeping up about this. But if she could do it, so could he. He snuck out in the morning and went back to Ric and Stefan's room only to find the other two friends there and he chuckled. He quietly took a shower then got dressed and stuck on the TV in the living room while he waited for his friend and brother to get up.

* * *

><p>The same thing continued every night for another four nights. Stefan, Ric and Damon went out, got hammered then got laid. During the day they hung out in the onboard pool or went on the day trips when the boat docked. Damon had seen Caroline from a distance but still had no interest in talking to her as yet. It was the longest he'd gone without speaking to Klaus too since they became friends and he found that he missed him. Seth too. Damon thought it was ridiculous that he complained so much about everyone constantly being around him, yet when they weren't all together, he found himself missing it. They had a nice dynamic and he looked forward to getting it back. He could go either way with Bonnie, though but he loved the rest of them. Even Zara just slotted herself in with them perfectly. On March the 3rd, Damon, Ric and Stefan were all sitting in the poolside hot tub laughing and joking when Caroline, Klaus and Zara came out to the pool area and spotted them. They walked over hesitantly to the three boys. It's not like everyone wasn't talking, as if they saw each other they would say hello, but didn't go out of their way to see each other.<p>

"Hello, boys." Klaus said.

"Hey." Stefan and Ric said together and Damon smirked.

"Klaus." Damon nodded. "Ladies." He nodded to Zara and Caroline.

"Hey." Caroline replied and he felt his stomach twist uncomfortably at her voice.

"Can we join you?" Klaus asked Damon and he shrugged.

"If you have to." Damon replied and Stefan elbowed him then glared.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Klaus asked Damon.

"Fine." Damon rolled his eyes and hopped over the side of the hot tub and followed Klaus around the corner so the others wouldn't hear.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you what we were doing." Klaus said and Damon nodded.

"I never keep things from you with the exception of the prophecy but you knew about it anyway so that's a moot point. I expect in the future, you won't make the same mistake again." Damon replied and Klaus nodded.

"So you aren't going to cut me off too?" Klaus asked and Damon chuckled.

"Just because I was pissed at you doesn't mean you aren't still my brother." Damon smirked. "Brothers go through rough patches sometimes. It happens." He nodded.

"And what about your wife?" Klaus asked softly and Damon sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it." Damon replied honestly.

"She's devastated, you know." Klaus replied.

"And you think I'm not?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"Then why won't you work on things?" Klaus asked.

"I will eventually." Damon replied.

"What does that even mean?" Klaus asked annoyed. "What kind of time frame are you talking about?" He asked.

"I don't know." Damon shrugged. "A couple of weeks, a month or two at the most." He said. "Everyone always seems to forget that she's only nineteen years old. She has a lot of pressure on her and I know that she relies on all of you for support. I usually forget that she's so young because she doesn't behave like a nineteen year old but at the end of the day... I love her and that will never change ever. I just need a little time." Damon replied.

"Could you at least talk to her? Just over coffee or something? She's been going out of her mind with how much she misses you. She even said that she doesn't care if you just shout at her, she just doesn't want the silent treatment anymore." Klaus said softly and Damon sighed.

"I'm not giving her the silent treatment. I just didn't have anything to say. Fine, I'll go ask her if she wants to have lunch with me." Damon muttered and Klaus smiled.

"I'm glad." He said then the two of them walked over to the hot tub and Damon saw Caroline visibly tense up and he felt like a jackass.

"Want to go for lunch with me, Barbie?" Damon asked her and she grinned.

"Sure." She said then jumped out and pulled her towel around her.

"I'll see you two later." Damon smirked at Stefan and Ric as they had plans to continue their new ritual again. Damon and Caroline walked over to the poolside restaurant and sat across from each other in a booth. "You having fun?" He asked her with a small smile.

"It's okay." She replied. "It was more fun last time." She said and he smirked.

"True." He nodded. "Klaus said you miss me." He said and she nodded.

"I miss you like crazy." She replied sadly.

"I miss you too." He replied because it was true.

"Really?" She asked and he chuckled.

"You know I love you and I have really missed you." He said to her softly. "This bit of time apart will be good for us in the long run, my sweet." He added.

"You think so?" She asked sceptically and he smirked.

"I bet in 100 years we'll look back on this and laugh at how stupid we were." Damon said and she giggled.

"You think we'll be together in 100 years?" She asked him hopefully and he smiled at her.

"Of course." He replied. "Try and have some fun while you're here. You're young and so beautiful... Try to see this as a good thing." He said and she smiled.

"Okay, I'll try." She nodded. "But I just want you to know that I love you so much." She said and he smiled.

"I know you love me." He took her hand and interlaced their fingers. "And I can't wait to get back together with you. I'm just not ready yet." He replied.

"Are you still angry with me?" She asked quietly.

"Yes." He nodded. "But it's fading." He said. "Having a break and just being stupid with Stefan and Ric is helping and putting things in perspective." He explained.

"Have you been sleeping with anyone?" She asked him with baited breath and he nodded. "That's a really shitty thing for you to do." She said angrily and he shrugged.

"We aren't together." He said to her.

"We're still married." She replied annoyed.

"You can feel however you want to about that. I didn't cheat on you. It's just how I cope with things so you can be angry if you want to. But I'm not doing anything wrong." He said to her.

"Oh yeah? And how would you feel if it was me sleeping with guys?" She asked and he shrugged.

"Right now, it's none of my business. I've been told that you've been hanging out with guys and again, it's none of my business." He said honestly and she was shocked at his answer.

"Who told you that?" She asked.

"I saw it myself a couple of times and Stefan told me." Damon replied. "Like I said, you can do whatever you want, it's none of my business what you do and with who until we officially get back together." He said and she let go of his hand.

"And how am I supposed to trust you after this?" She asked curiously and he shrugged.

"I never did anything with anyone the entire time we were together; you have no reason not to trust me." He replied.

"How am I just supposed to be okay with this?" She asked.

"I told you, go have fun. Don't think about me. You and I can work on things when we go home." He replied.

"I don't know if I want you to come home now." She snapped and he shrugged again.

"Fine, I won't." He replied and her eyes widened.

"What about Viktor? Or are you going to be on a break from him too until it suits you not to be?" She asked in disbelief and that comment infuriated him.

"Oh, I'll be in Amsterdam." He said sharply. "If you don't want me in the house, that's up to you, but nothing will stop me from seeing my son." He said to her annoyed then got up and left the restaurant. Klaus, Stefan, Ric and Zara saw him leave and could tell he was angry. Caroline came out a minute later and she looked confused and hurt. Damon left the pool area and Ric and Stefan glanced at each other then hurried after him. They found him in the room getting dressed.

"What happened?" Ric asked concerned.

"She implied that I don't give a fuck about Vik." Damon said and their jaws dropped.

"What exactly happened?" Stefan asked.

"She asked me straight out if I'd been sleeping with other people and I wasn't going to lie so I said yes." Damon replied. "Then she got all pissy asking how she was supposed to trust me now and told me she didn't know if she wanted me to come home so I said that I wouldn't. Then she brought Vik up and asked if I was going to be on a break from him too until it suited me not to be." Damon seethed as he paced the room and Stefan blinked in disbelief.

"I can't believe she said that!" Ric exclaimed. "It's not like you're on a break for no reason." He added.

"That was out of line but I can see why she's annoyed at you sleeping with other women." Stefan replied.

"Well, then she gets mad at me for that, she didn't have to bring him into it just to be a bitch." He snapped.

"Damon, she knows you love Viktor. She's probably just hurt." Stefan said. "Everyone says things they don't mean sometimes." He reminded him and Damon took a deep breath and nodded.

"You're right." Damon said. "Can we go and get drunk now?" Damon asked.

* * *

><p>That night went much the same as the other nights had. Stefan, Damon and Ric went to a bar, got sloshed and hooked up. Damon went back to the hotel room in the morning and got ready then he, Ric and Stefan left their room and went up on deck. They were standing at the back of the ship for a while just looking out at the moving ocean when Klaus and Seth appeared.<p>

"She regretted it as soon as she said it." Klaus said and Damon sighed.

"I know." He nodded. "But can we please not talk about Caroline?" Damon asked and he nodded.

"Have you and Zara decided on a date yet?" Stefan asked curiously.

"Yes, December the 28th." Klaus smiled.

"You're waiting that long?" Damon asked surprised.

"I don't want to set it for like August then she realises that she can't be with a guy who has twins. It's better to wait a while and see how she adjusts to that." Klaus shrugged.

"Clever thinking." Damon nodded.

"Since you and Cookie aren't on the best terms, does this mean we're going to have to haul our asses on this ship again to see you get married?" Seth asked and Damon laughed.

"Don't pretend you don't love this cruise, dude." Damon smirked and Seth laughed.

"True, but I don't like the super long flights." He replied.

"Next time we'll get married on a pirate ship." Damon said and they laughed. Just then Damon's phone rang and he was startled because it was the satellite phone Ric had bought him and he only had it with him in case of emergencies and very few people knew the number for it.

"Hello?" He answered.

"_Mr Salvatore?_" Came the voice and everyone saw Damon's face go nervous.

"Dr Van Hout?" He asked and the boys were suddenly on high alert.

"_You need to come to the hospital._" He said and they saw Damon's hand start to shake.

"Why? What... happened?" He asked shakily and they all watched in disbelief as the beautiful sunny day got cloudy fast.

"_Noelle was on her way to the hospital for a check up and she was hit by a drunk driver._" He said and the clouds went black and rain started to bucket down as Damon's hand shook like a leaf.

"Is the drunk driver alive?" Damon asked as he wasn't ready to ask the other question yet.

"_Yes, he survived._" The doctor replied and Klaus and Stefan glanced at each other knowing he wouldn't be alive for long.

"And... is..." Damon started but found he couldn't ask.

"_Noelle was rushed into surgery minutes ago. Unfortunately, she is very badly injured so they are having to deliver your son by emergency section._" The doctor said.

"But it's too early! He has over a month left!" Damon gasped and thunder crackled in the sky and the boys all glanced at each other then Damon as this news could turn him psychotic. That and none of them had ever experienced Damon's ability before.

"_Mr Salvatore... We're unable to assess how badly he is hurt without delivering him._" The Doctor said and tears broke free on all of their faces especially Damon's.

"He's... hurt?" Damon asked shakily.

"_I'm so sorry, Mr Salvatore. Please... get here as soon as you can._" The doctor said.

"I'll be there by the end of the day." He replied then hung up. He looked at Stefan who looked just as broken as the others. "Not again." Damon whispered then lightening burst through the sky at an alarming rate. Damon tossed Stefan his phone then took a step back and the air shifted around Damon's body and seconds later he transformed into a huge black crow and all their jaws dropped. Damon took off from the ship and they saw the black speck disappear in seconds as in crow form he could still move at vampire speed.

"Did you know he could do that?" Klaus asked in disbelief.

"No." Stefan shook his head.

"We need to find Cookie." Seth said then the boys darted down the ship until they found her.

"Caroline." Stefan said and she was alarmed immediately as she could see tears streaming down all the boys faces but no Damon in sight.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"There's been an accident." Stefan sniffed.

"Viktor's hurt." Klaus said.

* * *

><p><strong>So... That's the end of 'The Road Ahead'. Thank you so much to all of you who stuck with me through this story. There will *obviously* be a sequel lol it's called 'The Aftermath'. Hope you join me for that!<strong>


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